Sometimes, I Wonder
by Silver Crescent Eclipse
Summary: Harry's twin brother, Chase, is believed to be the Chosen One while Harry is neglected. But the night the Potter's are attacked Harry is the one that is hit with the curse and survives, but get's sent to another place...
1. When everything's lost

**Chapter 1**

Harry James Potter heaved a small sigh and closed his favourite book. Looking at the cover, which stated 'Charms and Curses; the Spells and History behind them' Harry dropped the leather book on his bed and stood to stretch.

Glancing at the clock he uttered another sigh and turned away from the brightly shining red letters that clearly stated12:34. It was officially his and his twin brother, Chase's, forth birthday; or rather, Chase's birthday.

Harry closed his eyes for a minute, trying to recall the last time his parents had actually acknowledged him beside's as a child in their home that they had to feed, clothe, and house. Ok, so once in a while they did acknowledge him, but that was when they usually wanted something done, either for themselves or his 'brother'.

Harry opened his eyes and walked over to his dresser and pulled out an outfit that was coloured green and black; it was one of his favourites. Pulling it on he glanced at the mirror and paused.

Looking back at him was a small boy with thick, silky midnight black hair and exotic, bright emerald eyes. Even though he was small for the age of four, his lean, slightly muscled body promised a tall, lean, and muscular young man when he got older. His skin was smooth and soft looking with a pale complexion but also a light, naturally toned tan. Harry turned away from the mirror and slipped on his shoes while heading to the door.

Harry knew that his looks were strange, attractive, and eye-taking but didn't pay heed to it. It would only give him a big head and into a lot of trouble.

Harry stopped at the door, placing his hand on the knob. He knew that he was uncharacteristically bright for someone his age, but he couldn't help it. When someone has been neglected for almost three years that person tends to develop certain traits that those around him don't have, in Harry's case, his intelligence. Unknown to most, since people didn't bother paying any heed to him, he had fluent speech patterns and even understood, used, and could even define most big words. That and his reading ability was just as fluid, maybe even more so, than his speech.

But then again, there was nothing else to do but read or run when people don't even notice you.

Closing the door behind him Harry trotted down the stairs and turned into the living room that lead to the kitchen. Grabbing something quick to eat he started to exit when his green eyed, red haired mother came in though the kitchen door, twirling and laughing with his twin brother in her arms. Hoping not to be noticed Harry tried to slip from the room, but not before his mother spotted him.

"Harry, can you grab Chase his cup and put some broth from the microwave in it. Chase must be so hungry." She said tickling Chase and not seeming to notice that she had just told her four year old to do something that the average four year old wouldn't understand how to do.

But Harry just sighed and walked over to the cupboard, taking out the cup that was shaped like a lion and filling it up with the broth. Handing it to his mother she didn't ever seem to notice him and instead pressed the cup to Chase's mouth, causing the boy to cry happily and Harry to roll his eyes. Pathetic, his brother didn't even know how to feed himself. Actually, his brother didn't know much of anything beside's the words 'mom', 'dad', 'food', and 'no', which their parents went haywire when ever he said one.

Harry sighed for about the umpteenth time that day and studied his brother. His brother had darkly tanned skin and wide dark brown eyes; a trait he had picked up from their father, that and the wild hair, which was the red colour of their mother's gene. He was small in stature and width but all in all a healthy four year old.

Lily was fussing over him as he gurgled happily. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes again and instead turned away and started toward the stairs to his bedroom. All though Harry was ignored and his brother got all the attention Harry understood why. Chase was what Harry over heard Dumbledore, the strange elderly man that tended to visit them, call 'The Chosen One'. Harry didn't know what Chase was chosen for but whatever it was it got his mother crying and his father shouting angrily, so it had to be something serious and important.

Harry placed his hand on the railing at the bottom of the stairs and was about to head up when a noise from outside caught his attention. Harry once again mentally thanked himself for his extraordinarily good hearing and eye sight and cautiously walked toward the door, glancing back at the kitchen for his mother and wondering briefly why his father was at a meeting at this time of night.

Keeping his steps light and soundless he made his way to the door and distrustfully looked through the window next to the door. Out in the darkness of their yard Harry could see nothing except the stray toy here and there. Thinking it was just a straggling bird he started to turn away when a figure caught his eye. Using his keen eyesight, he was able to make out a tall, thin figure coming out of the shadows.

The figure was wearing a black cloak with the hood up.

Harry instantly got a strong sense of forbidding and slowly backed away from the window, the food in his hands dropping to the floor. The sound of their impact snapped Harry out of the trance he had been in and he ran full speed to the kitchen.

"Mother. Mother!" He said almost in a yell. "There's someone in the front yard! I don't know who he is but I have this really bad feeling. He's tall, slim, and is wearing a thick black cloak..."

At the last part his mother's head snapped up and she spun toward him.

"Are you sure?" she demanded. Harry nodded.

"Positive."

Lily's eyes suddenly grew wide and she looked frantically around. Snapping out of it she picked Chase up and pressed him into Harry's arms. Harry almost dropped him because of the sudden weight but thankfully his toned muscles held.

Then Lily was kneeling before him and stroking Chase's face while looking into Harry's eyes.

"Listen to me very carefully Harry." she said. Suddenly the house shook slightly and Harry knew that whoever was out there had gotten past the first barrier. Lily closed her eyes momentarily before opening them again.

"I need you to promise me something." she continued. At Harry's nod she grabbed his shoulders and gripped them.

"Promise me that whatever happens tonight that, no matter what, you'll always protect your brother." she said tearfully. Swallowing, Harry nodded.

"Promise me Harry!" Lily said shaking slightly as the house gave another tremble; the second barrier was broken.

"I promise." Harry said softly. Lily was now fully crying.

"Run, up the stairs. Hide and don't come down, no matter what." she said ushering him to the stairs. Harry was on the top stair when the house shuddered for the third and final time. Harry glanced down long enough to see Lily, who was positioned in front of the door, go flying backward as the door was blasted open and a red light followed in its wake. Not staying long enough to find out who the stranger was and some how knowing that his mother was alive, Harry ran full speed down the hall toward Chase's room.

Running inside and placing Chase on the floor by the closet, Harry closed the door and locked it, slowly backing up. There was a slow, antagonizing clicking as who ever it was slowly came up the stairs. Harry swallowed quietly and took a step back. As the clicking of foot steps reached the door they paused for a second... then moved on.

Harry could have feinted in relief. Looking back at Chase he was suddenly surprised to see him playing with something that glinted in the small amount of light. Upon seeing it Harry swore silently.

A knife.

He must have picked it up before Lily gave him to Harry.

Harry turned and was about to come over and take the knife out of his brother's hands when Chase lost his grip on it. Chase grabbed at it to catch it, but it slipped and instead of catching the hilt he caught it by the blade, which went into the delicate skin of his hand, cutting a deep gash.

Chase dropped the knife, which clattered softly to the floor and, to Harry's horror, he started to scream.

Over the screams Harry heard the foot steps come back to the door and before he could do anything the door was whipped open. Harry, who was right by it, was hit by it and flung to the wall, hitting his head. Harry sunk slowly to the floor and watched in horror as the man slowly approached the screaming Chase. Holding his head and shaking it Harry shook off the daze and watched as the man rose his wand and pointed it at Chase.

"May the prophesy die with you." Harry distinctively heard the man hiss in a cold voice. But as the man flicked his wand and started saying a spell Harry ran across the room and threw himself in front of his brother. As he watched, a streak of green light rushed out of the now surprised man's wand and hit him straight on. A distant part of his mind pointed out that they were both going to die now, but he brushed the thought away.

Then as the green light surrounded him a blazing pain erupted on his forehead as he watched the green light consume the man as well. The last thing he saw of the man was his hateful bright scarlet eyes gazing at him in a type of shock before the man, along with the green light, disappeared.

Harry lay suspended in the air for a minute, the light around him turning a vivid white. He was dazed and exhausted; his body too weak to move. Turning his head slightly to look once more at his crying brother, the cut from his hand bleeding in a steady stream to the floor, Harry closed his eyes... and disappeared from the Potter household.


	2. Hello Kiryan

Cries continued to fill the house of the Potter's residence as storm clouds gathered outside. The silence of the night was soon broken by the sound of thunder roaring.

Then footsteps.

James Potter ran at full speed toward the two story house that, for the last few years, he had called home. His two best friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, were running right behind him, keeping pace with his lengthy strides.. But James didn't notice, his only thoughts were on his wife, and his son.

Reaching to the house he burst through the front door, looking around frantically. The house was a mess, furniture and glass littering everything. James walked cautiously into the room, scanning it. And when his eyes landed on the prone figure of his wife, his heart dropped.

Tripping his way over to her he lifted her into his arms tearfully, only to sag in relief. She was alive, with a huge bump on her head, maybe even a mild concussion, but her breathing was even and her heart, steady.

Remus walked over to James and Lily as Sirius bolted up stairs, toward the crying. Remus knelt down by James and checked Lily's pulse. As he sighed and drew his hand away, Lily moaned, reaching up to place her hand on her head, then suddenly seemed to realize something and bolted straight up, almost hitting James's head in the process.

"Chase!" She cried frantically looking around.

"He's fine," was the reply as Sirius descended the stairs holding a crying Chase bawling in his arms. Lily cried out in joy as Sirius put Chase in her arms, James holding them both tightly.

As the three continued crying Sirius walked over to Remus, who looked up at him questioningly. Sirius indicated for Remus to follow him and started up the stairs. As soon as they were out of sight of the three, Remus turned to Sirius.

"Where is young Harry?" Remus asked softly. Sirius stared sadly back at him, and shook his head.

"That's the problem; I don't know. I looked everywhere, Remus, in every room and every hiding place, but all I could find was Chase." Sirius said, his eyes watering. Remus froze for a minute, staring at him. Then he suddenly darted down the hall and into Chase's room. Sirius followed quickly, making sure Remus didn't hurt himself.

"Harry! HARRY!" Remus cried searching the room deliriously. Sirius stood forlornly in the doorway, watching his friend search hopelessly for someone they both cared about greatly. Sirius closed his eyes briefly, recalling the beautiful young boy that was Harry, with his unruly pitch black hair and his strange emerald eyes. The boy that was so intelligent that they could hold a decent conversation for hours, and so bright and delightful that he seemed to glow from a light within, yet so shadowed with sorrow and tears that he had matured at a too early stage.

Opening his eyes Sirius watched as Remus dropped the toys he had been moving and sank slowly to the floor, tears streaming down his face-. Remus closed his eyes before opening them and looking up at Sirius.

"He just can't be gone Padfoot, he just can't be." Remus whispered softly. Sirius sighed mournfully and walked over to kneel by his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know." Sirius said quietly. Remus sniffed and looked up at him.

"But that's just it. It doesn't make sense, it doesn't _feel_ right." Remus said looking around. "It's like we're missing something."

Sirius remained silent, but felt the same way. Deep inside him, he knew that Harry was some how alive somewhere. But where, he didn't know. Sighing he squeezed Remus' shoulder and stood up. "Come on. We better get back down stairs."

"They don't even notice." Remus said spitefully. Sirius turned back toward him. Truthfully Sirius felt the same way, but kept it in.

Remus sighed bitterly when Sirius didn't answer and was about to stand when he noticed something on the floor in front of him. Kneeling forward to get a better look Remus started to make out shapes in the dim light.

"Sirius, come look at this!" Remus called. Sirius paused at the doorway and walked back over to his friend, kneeling beside him. Looking down he saw a big black spot on the floor. At first one would take it as a burn mark. That is until you looked closer.

The black spot actually was design of entwined markings. Though foreign and unusual the markings were unmistakably beautiful, each one seeming to be carved with delicacy and perfection.

"What are they?" Sirius asked mystified. Remus shook his head.

"Runes, I think. But a type I've never seen before. But do you feel that?" Remus asked looking around. Sirius straightened slightly. Yes, he could feel it, the presence of powerful magic lingered in the room.

"What ever these runes stand for it's powerful, and possibly ancient." Remus continued. Sirius looked up.

"Do you think it was Chase that used it when he banished the Dark Lord?" Sirius asked but Remus shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. Look." Remus said pointing to the blood stains about two feet away. "What ever did this it had something to do with something stepping in the way. Or someone."

At that Sirius's head snapped around to look at Remus. "Do you think it was Harry?"

Remus looked up and shook his head miserably. "I don't know." he sighed and then looked toward the ceiling. "But if it was Harry, and he did step in front of his brother and got hit with the Killing Curse, I just strangely hope, for our sakes and his own, that's he's okay.

00

00

Darkness. He was floating in darkness. Harry sighed and fought toward the light up ahead. As much as he enjoyed the serenity of the darkness, he knew that he had to go back to consciousness.

Opening his eyes he was greeted by the full moon. Staring he felt his jaw drop.. It had never been that big! The moon was a huge glowing sphere, about the width of a plasma TV except circular. All around it stars danced, enjoying the freedom of the night.

Taking his eyes off of the sky harry looked around him. He was at the edge of a huge meadow. A little ways away from him, Harry could see, in the vast light of the moon, the edge of a forest with tall trees and barely any underbrush. Harry sighed again and tried to sit up in his place on the blue grass..

Whoa, blue grass? Harry looked closer and to his astonishment the grass was indeed, blue.

But grass wasn't supposed to be blue! It was supposed to be green, unless he had been colour blind up until now. Harry ruffled his wings in aggravation.

Hold up... wings?

Harry turned so fast that he almost fell backwards, and would have if the 'wings' on his back hadn't suddenly extended and given an awkward flap, stabilizing him. Harry reached out his hand and carefully grabbed one of the feathered wings, drawing it toward him.

The feathers were soft and cool against his hand, the colours from them ranging from a bright violet toward his back, to a blazing blue in the inner middle, a striking green toward the outer middle, to end in a shiny black at the tips.

Harry released the wing and watched in amazement as it folded with the other one securely against his back. Pondering on whether or not he could control them, Harry reached inside his mind, trying to figure out what muscle to move. Concentrating he found the foreign muscle and flexed it. His wings instantly unfolded and spread of to their full length.

Harry had to hold in a gasp. They were huge, the wing span more the twice his height. Getting over their size, Harry took control of them again, giving them a flap.

Immediately he was jerked off of his knees and shot upward. Harry instantly placed his feet on the ground and folded his wings, his heart pounding in his chest. Now _that_ was scary. He never wanted to hear Sirius and Remus complain about a broomstick again.

Sirius and Remus.

Harry felt his heart drop in sorrow, his wings drooping slightly. He hoped they were okay. Sirius and Remus were the only ones that cared about him in Harry's opinion. They always took the time out of their visits to spend time with him. And they were always there for him.

Sighing again Harry took the next few minutes flexing and getting used to his new wings. They were fun and delightful, light in weight and sparkled in the moonlight. Not to mention really, really flexible.

Finally getting the hang out of how they worked Harry folded them neatly against his back, deciding to try them out in the daylight where he could see better. Making sure they were folded and out of harms way, Harry turned toward the forest and started forward.

Not seeing anything out in the distance in the huge meadow of blue grass (he still couldn't get over that fact) Harry decided that the forest might be his best shot. That and it might have food in it. One could always hope.

Getting through the small opening in the trees, Harry started walking forward. After all, where else was there to go? As he walked Harry let his thoughts wonder.

Where was he anyway? And did his parents even notice him gone? Probably not, Harry mentally answered his last question. All they cared about was Chase anyway. Speaking of Chase, Harry hoped that he was okay. He probably was, seeing that Harry was the one that was hit with the curse. Humph, some curse. It didn't even work. Or did it? Harry held his head. This was so confusing.

Suddenly Harry was jerked out of his thoughts. 'What was that?' he thought looking around. A bush to his right ruffled and he swerved toward it. Then the strange noise sounded again. Was that... a giggle?

"I'm sorry if we frightened you, my child." a soft, delicate voice sounded from his left. Harry twirled toward it. Then stared.

A few feet away from him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had long flowing white hair and uncanny glowing blue eyes that seemed to twinkle in the moon light. She was tall, thin, and willowy, clad in a gorgeous white dress. He entire frame seemed to glow from a light from within.

Harry knew he was staring, but couldn't help it. Finally his mind settled on her words.

"I-I'm not frightened." He stuttered defensively. The woman smiled and approached him slowly. As she came nearer, his mind finally processed that she looked about 19, maybe twenty years old.

"Of course you're not, how silly of me." she said laughingly. Her words finally snapped him out of it and Harry looked up at her.

"Who are you?" he asked curiously.

"I am Kiryan of the Elves."

"You're an Elf?" Harry said suddenly noticing her slightly pointed ears.

"Yes."

"Um..., Kiryan...," Harry said shyly while indicating around them. "Do you know where we are?"

"We are in the Hollyus Forest." Kiryan said. Then she looked down at him worriedly. "You're not lost, are you?"

"Unfortunately, I am." Harry admitted. "I have no idea where I'm supposed to go."

She tilted her head. "That's strange for a Lestran." She said absentmindedly. Harry perked up.

"A what?"

"A Lestran. That's what you are, are you not?"

"Umm... I don't know. I don't know much of anything any more." Harry acknowledged dryly.

"Don't say that." Kiryan said kneeling in front of him and tilting his chin back with a delicate finger. "We'll figure this out, I promise."

"Really?"

"Really," she said. "Now what I need you to do is bring your wings inside your self."

"Come again?" Harry asked confused. Kiryan sighed.

"If I'm right, and you are a Lestran, then you have the ability to 'hide' your wings. That's why Lestrans are often mistaken for humans, because they are able to draw their wings with in themselves."

"How?" Harry asked.

"Just concentrate and your body will do the rest."

Harry did as she said. First there was this tingling sensation on his back, then he opened his eyes and looked behind him.

"There gone!" he said astonished. Then he looked at Kiryan worriedly. "Will they be able to come back?"

"Of course, all you have to do is concentrate on releasing them." she said smiling. Them she faltered and idly touched his forehead. "My child, where did you get this?" she asked softly.

Harry reached up to where she was touching and gasped. On his forehead he could feel the outline of a scar, which strangely zigzagged like a lightening bolt.

"I don't know." Harry answered truthfully. Kiryan looked down at him and sighed again. Standing, she reached down and took his hand. "Come child, I must take you to my Father. You must have been through so much."

"Your Father?" Harry asked, jogging to keep up with her lengthy steps.

"Yes, he is one of the wisest and strongest of us." she said and looked down. "And I believe he can help you, magically, physically, and emotionally. He might be the only one that can."

Harry pondered this as Kiryan lead him through the forest. If her Father could help him it would seriously make things easier. He just hoped he wouldn't be as much a burden to them as he was to his parents.

.


	3. Rusty?

Hola! I'm back with another chapter. I've been trying to write one a day but if I get sidetracked, please forgive me. I know this one is kind of short, sorry about that. Enjoy.

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7 years later

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Harry Potter looked around him at the dark forest. The small bushes and thick tree trunks could be hiding anything as far as he was concerned. Walking stealthily through the small underbrush Harry kept his foot steps silent, making sure to avoid the small twigs and crackling dead leaves. Flaring out his senses he connected his mind with everything around him, listening for the slightest sound, looking for the slightest movement, feeling for the slightest disturbance in the air.

There. A movement, small but there. Harry cautiously approached it, making sure to hide in the shadows and keep his breathing as silent as the air around him. As Harry approached the area something moved.

Harry had a seconds notice before something came whistling toward him. Dodging to the side with reflexes that he had perfected over the years, her skillfully caught the offending object and, using its momentum to his advantage, flung it back at its keeper.

Its keeper dodged it and without warning, jumped toward him, a wooden staff swinging forward. Harry reached behind him, grabbing his own staff, and swung it in front of him, meeting the blow. His attacker leaped backward to avoid Harry's counter attack, and went back to offense, swinging its staff at Harry again. Harry took defense, blocking every blow with as much inhuman speed as his opponent was delivering them.

Deciding to change tactics, seeing that he was being backed into a tree, Harry blocked one last time and swung his staff in an arc, skillfully taking his adversary by surprise and forcing it to go into defense. Then with one final move he locked their staffs so that they were crossed above their heads, before preforming a down ward swipe, removing the staff from his opponents hand, and using his staffs momentum to hit his adversary's feet out from under him. Before his opponent could rise Harry pointed his staff at his adversary's neck.

"You're getting rusty." Harry commented. His opponent snorted.

"Rusty? It is you who is getting rusty. You did not detect my presence until you were practically right by me."

"Complaining Vince?" Harry teased, taking his staff away and offering his friend his hand. Vince took it and Harry pulled him up.

"I'm not complaining; merely stating a fact." Vince said arrogantly, yet when he looked up at Harry his amber eyes were sparkling with mirth as he picked up his staff. Harry smiled back and they started forward. As they walked Harry studied his friend.

Vincent Cantianise was an elf with long black hair and bright amber eyes. He was tall for his age and was about the same age as Harry in elf years. Though they were both ten they were both top in their classes in fighting, spells, potions, and magic and often liked to test each other on one skill or the other, as Vince had done a moment ago. They also happened to be best friends.

"Earth to Harry." Vince was saying and Harry snapped out of his thoughts. "Do you know why they summoned you?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but I think it as something to do with my eleventh birthday."

Vince seemed to be considering something. "Hmm, yes that would make sense." Then he looked around them. "And at this pace we're not going to find out until next year."

Harry smiled, knowing what he was implying. Stopping, he concentrated. With in seconds two huge wings, the wings span of course twice his height, had sprouted from his back. Harry stretched and flexed them for a moment, enjoying the feeling that the wings gave him. Bending one wing slightly he looked it over.

The wing's colors had gotten brighter since eight years ago, the greens, blues, purples, and blacks vibrant and brilliant in every shade. The feathers seemed to have been carved to perfection, every one perfect even to the tiniest detail and every one placed perfectly in place.

Harry loved his wings, the attention they caused and the freedom they gave him. And freedom it was indeed, to be able to soar in the skies and go where ever he pleased without the restrictions of those on the ground.

"It must be great." Vince said, causing Harry to look up at him. "To be able to fly."

Harry smiled slightly at his friend and put his hand on Vince's shoulder. "Look at it this way; as long as you know me, you'll be able to visit the skies too. Speaking of which," Harry said ruffling his wings. "Want a ride?"

Vince smiled and rolled his eyes before shrinking his staff with a spell and walking behind Harry, gripping his shoulders. Making sure that Vince had a good grip, Harry flared his wings and brought them down in one quick move, successfully launching them into the air.

Vince gave a cry of delight as he gripped Harry's shoulders as Harry was immediately taken with the thrill of flying. Spiraling through the air Harry soared toward Alenious, The Great City of the Elves.

00

00

"Dad, can I get a Nimbus 2000?" James Potter looked down at his 10 year old son.

"Not today, Chase. Wait until you're older." James responded, watching as his son pouted and stomped his foot before turning on his heel and joining his life-long friend, Seamus Finnigan.

James smiled slightly, seeing them together. It was an odd picture really. Seamus was tall for his age of ten and skinny in an almost unhealthy way, where Chase was small and burly. Seamus's eyes were green where Chase's were dark brown and Seamus's skin was pale with freckles where Chase's was dark and clear. Practically the only thing they had in common were their shocking hair colors, both a dark reddish-blond.

"Musing something?" A playful voice implied as James felt arms slip around his waist. He turned around to stare into the bright green eyes of his wife.

"Hmm, yes actually. When will we be able to have time alone again?" James asked innocently as Lily laughed and pushed him away.

"James, you dog." she said playfully. James smiled.

"I resent that." A voice said from behind Lily as Sirius Black stepped out of the store shaking his bangs out of his eyes. Remus Lupin followed closely behind, giving a sad smile to James and Lily.

"I imagine you would." Lily teased. Sirius gave her a small smile and turned to James.

"Chase starting school in a few days?"

"Yep," James said proudly. "We're getting his school supplies today."

"I just hope poor Chase can deal." Sirius said with a smile. "Having two parents and two uncles that are all professors."

"I just hope Hogwarts can deal." Lily said sighing. "With the Trouble Trio involved, it's in for one heck of a year."

James just smiled proudly as Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance.


	4. The Great City

Thanks to all who reviewed. Enjoy.

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"So, what were you doing in the forest next to the Great City anyway?" Harry asked as he flapped his wings to get a little higher.

"Well, actually Kiryan told me that you were summoned and to meet you on your way here." Vince answered before looking suspiciously down at Harry. "What were _you_ doing in the forest? We both know you always fly to the Great City."

Harry smiled and shrugged. "Because I know you and figured you would be there." At that Vince snorted.

But before Vince could respond a huge mountain came into view. Harry swooped up, angling his flying to go to the top. As soon as they reached the top of Mount Estien Harry was once again struck with the beauty of the Great City.

"You know, I does look a whole lot more mystical from the air." Vince commented. Harry nodded.

The city itself was supported on the top of the mountain by a giant blue crystal platform. The buildings on the platform were made out of varieties of different colored crystals, gems, and minerals, every one of them creating there own delicate pattern of designs. In the center of the crystal platform was a whole where a glamorous lake flowed proudly. Lake Crestial. And on the other side of the lake and away from the other buildings was the Great Palace, or Hyestious Myano as the Elves called it. The palace was a sight amongst itself, created from jewels and colors that were impossible to create with any kind of coloring utensil. It was huge in width, covering over half of the giant platform, and so tall that the tips of the highest towers were hidden in the clouds. All in all, the sight was spectacular.

"You guys have got to tell me one of these days how you built this." Harry said lowly. Vince chuckled as they neared Hyestious Myano.

"One of these days." Vince said nodding. Harry smiled as they landed on the crystal platform in front of the palace doors. They did not have to wait long before a guard let them in. Before Harry could take five steps into the front door he was enveloped in a hug of silk and satin.

"It is so good to see you my child." His attacker said while pulling back to gaze at him. "I haven't seen you in forever."

Harry laughed, smiling. "Kiryan, you saw me yesterday."

"And as I recall had the same response." Vince said lowly. Harry couldn't help but smile at that.

Kiryan smiled as well and stood up, taking Harry's hand. "Come, we must not keep my Father waiting."

Harry nodded and, with Vince, started walking through the halls after Kiryan. The Halls were as amazing as the outside, decorated with glorious velvet, silk, wood, and crystal furniture and amazing tapestries that could only be described as works of art. The crystal walls, ceilings, and floors were perfectly carved and formed, as smooth as perfectly crafted marble.

Walking to the end of another hall Kiryan took a right, leading them into a giant chamber with a ceiling so high that you could barely see it or the sparkling ice crystals that hung from it. The walls of the chamber were made of a strange green color, almost as exotic as Harry's eyes, the green making a shocking contrast with the light blue color of the floor. On the opposite side of the huge chamber, across from the doors, a huge throne sat proudly, its silver and gold materials shining. On either side of the throne was two giant pillars, both seeming to reach toward the high ceiling, small silver vines twirling around them with silver half bloomed roses blossoming from the vines every few inches. Taking up over 3/4 of the room, the front starting on either side of the pillars and ending on either side of the doors, was a giant garden with all kinds of flowers, roses, herbs, and other plants that Harry couldn't name off the top of his head. The only non- plant area was the 6-foot wide path that lead to the throne.

Harry inhaled the delicious scents of the plants as he walked toward the throne, bowing deeply to the strong figure that resided upon it.

"Rise." a deep, lulling voice sounded through the room. Harry stood and studied the figure of King Kaden.

Master Kaden, as Harry was instructed to call him since Harry insisted on being respectful and Kaden didn't appreciate formalities, was a tall, strongly muscled being with hair as white as Kiryan's and eyes that were so light it the grey shade they possessed they were almost white. At the moment he was clad in a velvet blue flowing robe that swirled hypnotically around him with every move he made. If his appearance didn't get your attention then his aura did; power and magic seemed to cling to the king like a second skin.

His eyes roamed over them and stopped on Kiryan. "My daughter, please take young Vincent out into the waiting chamber; I wish to speak to young Harry alone." He said in a kind voice to Kiryan.

"Yes Father." Kiryan said and ushered Vince out of the doors. Vince turned and waved at Harry before he disappeared behind them. Harry turned back around to Master Kaden to see that he had risen from his throne and was now standing by Harry. Harry wasn't surprised that he hadn't heard or seen Master Kaden rise and walk to stand beside him, after all Master Kaden was an Elder, the oldest, strongest, and wisest Elves alive; even though his face and body still looked young, his eyes showed knowledge beyond anything Harry ever knew.

"Come, Harry. Walk with me." He stated and started into the gardens. Harry kept in pace beside him, even as he stopped to examine an alien looking orange plant.

"As you know, your eleventh birthday is in a few days." Master Kaden started looking over at Harry. Harry nodded.

"You also know that you are of wizard heritage."

Harry nodded again.

"Then you must also know that you can not learn everything you need to know here."

At that Harry's head shot up. "What do you mean?"

Master Kaden lifted his head to look at Harry with his strange white-grey eyes. "Harry, we can teach you how to physically fight, we can teach you how to use plants and stones for rituals, we can teach you how to do extraordinary things with your mind, how to use magic without a staff or wand, even the concept of magic itself. But what we can't teach you is what you were born with. You're a wizard, Harry. Both Elves and wizards do magic, yes, but not the same kind."

"So you're saying I can't stay here?" Harry said trying to hold back his tears. This was his home.

"No Harry, I'm not saying that. We will always have a place here for you. But what I am saying is that you have wizards magic in you and unless you learn how to control it, it will control you."

"So all you're saying is that I have to learn to control it. How?"

"Wizards, to control their magic, go schools much like we do here. I have you enrolled for a wizarding school called Hogwarts. And do not worry," Master Kaden said raising a hand to stop Harry's objections. "I'm sure Vincent will be more then happy to help you out with all that he learned, over the summer."

Harry closed his mouth, swallowing the remark he was going to make at that comment and nodded. Well, it could be worse.

"Good," Master Kaden said smiling. He then pulled an envelope out thin air and handed it to Harry. "This is your school supplies list. Kiryan and Vincent are going to escort you to Diagon Alley to buy them. And don't worry about over spending, you'll have plenty of money to get whatever you like." Master Kaden said smiling again at Harry's excited expression.

"Now that that's covered could you please send Kiryan in?" Harry nodded and made his way through the garden to the doors. Letting himself out he trotted down the hall to where Vince and Kiryan were waiting.

"Kiry, your Father wants to speak to you." Harry said. Kiryan nodded and headed down the hall and through the Throne Room's doors.

"What was that about?" Vince asked. In response Harry handed him the envelope. Vince opened it and read it over, his eyes getting wide.

"You get to go to wizarding school?" Vince exclaimed, causing Harry to smile.

"Yeah, I have to learn how to do wizards magic."

"Neat."

"And when I get back for the summer you have to teach me all that I missed that year."

"Okay... What! Oh that's mean." Vince said while grinning and playfully pushing Harry.

"Okay boys, that's enough." Kiryan said as she walked toward them, a bag in her hands. As she came to stand beside them she handed the bag to Harry.

"This is your money pouch." she said. "I know it looks small but actually there is a charm on it so that when you reach in it you are taking directly from our account. But don't worry on the costs of anything; we have no use for the wizards money ourselves so we've been collecting it in the account for years. So use as much as you want; with as much as we have gathered in wizard coins it's worth more then 50 billion dollars in Muggle money."

"Damn, that's a lot." Harry murmured.

"Considerate it yours. Like I said, we have no use for it. And with you at least it will be useful for something."

"Thanks." Harry said somehow shocked. "But how will I be able to repay you all that money?"

"Just get through the year; that's payment enough." Kiryan said and cleared her throat. "Anyway, we better get to this 'Diagon Alley' and get your supplies. Afterwards you have better awake bright and early tomorrow; I would hate to see you miss your train on your first day."

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Hoped you liked that. I'm working on the next chapter and might be able to post it tomorrow. Thanks.

R&R


	5. Curious

Sorry I couldn't update sooner. I forgot my cousins were coming down and right after that we had to leave for the Connie Mack. Anyway, here's the update.

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"No."

"Oh come on; it's cute!"

"Ok, allow me to restate that; HELL No."

"You're no fun." Vince complained as Harry jerked off the 'dress robes' and placed them to the side, leaving him in his white silk shirt and black pants.

"Fine, then you try on one."

"No thank you."

"That's what I thought."

"Vincent, knock it off and Harry, it's not like you're making a fashion statement." Kiryan lectured from her place on the waiting bench. Harry sent her a furious look as Vince smirked. Turning back to the section of 'robes' Harry picked out several black 'school robes' and 5 outfits before purchasing and leaving the shop.

"What now?" Vince asked looking around at the various shoppers around them. Harry took out his list and glanced at it.

"I still need... a wand."

"How about Olivanders?" Kiryan asked, pointing to the building in front of them. It was grey and shabby looking, but appeared to be in decent shape. Harry shrugged and stepped forward with Vince, then paused when he noticed that Kiryan hadn't moved and was looking off down the street.

"Kiryan?"

Kiryan looked over at then at the sound of Harry's voice and smiled.

"You two go ahead, I want to do something real quick."

Harry and Vince nodded as she started down the street and stepped into the shop.

The shop was dark and hovel looking with books and boxes littering the floor. The ceiling was high and the shelves were stacked with hundreds of small rectangular boxes that seemed as if they were going to fall over with the slightest touch. Just as Harry was reconsidering a sharp sound of wheels was heard and a man on a rolling ladder came into view.

The man stared hard at them until his gaze focused on Harry. He looked at Harry for a minute or two before his face split into a smile.

"I wondered when I'd be seeing you Mr. Potter." The man said in a low, raspy voice. Vince exchanged an alarmed look with Harry as the man climbed down and started rummaging through the small boxes on the shelf nearest to him.

"It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wand." Olivanders continued. "And it was quite literally yesterday that your bother was in here buying he first wand."

"So Chase is ok then?" Harry asked quietly. Olivanders looked over at him forlornly.

"Yes, a feat in itself, being the Boy-Who-Lived. To be the defeater of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would take a lot out of a person. And to live through the Killing Curse; even more."

"I suppose." Harry said softly, a memory of a bright green light and pain flashing through his mind.

Olivander stopped in his searching and gazed at Harry as if seeing him for the first time. He paused as his eyes found the scar on Harry's forehead. "Yes, it would most definitely take a lot out of a person. It has been a secret that wizards have been trying to crack for years. Though it seems, Mr. Potter, that you have a few secrets of your own."

"Secrets are meant to be kept." Harry said evenly. Olivander nodded.

"That they are." He murmured before returning to the shelf. Vince looked over at Harry with a raised eyebrow, which Harry ignored. He was not looking forward to that discussion.

"Ah." Olivander said suddenly as he plucked a box from the shelve. Walking forward he handed a wand to Harry who took it in his hand and looked at it.

"Well give it a wave!"

Harry glanced up at him before doing as he was told and flicking the wand. As he did so the filing cabinets behind the desk were ripped out, littering the floor. Harry glanced at the wand before placing it on the desk in front of him.

"Apparently not." Olivander said walking back between the shelves. By this time Vince had both eyebrows raised and looked as if he was trying not to laugh.

Olivander came back into the room carrying a green box. Taking the wand out of it he handed it to Harry.

"Perhaps this."

Harry waved the wand again and a vase exploded. He quickly placed the wand on the desk. Behind him he could hear Vince heaving in silent laughter.

"No, no definitely not." Olivander said walking to the back of the store. Harry took this time to cast a seething glare back at Vince, who only laughed harder.

"I wonder." Olivanders voice sounded, jerking Harry out of his plans for revenge on Vince later. He looked up to see the man walking toward them holding a box. He stepped in front of Harry and silently handed the wand from the box to him. As soon as Harry's hand closed around the wand he felt energy blast through his hand, up his arm, and all over his body as a dim light surrounded him before fading. Vince had gone silent while Olivander looked at Harry observantly.

"Curious. Very curious." Olivander murmured. Harry looked up at him.

"Sorry, but what's curious?" Harry asked as he handed the wand back to Olivander. The wand-maker took it and held it gently in his hands.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold Mr. Potter. It so happens that the phoenix, who's tail feather resides in your wand gave another. Just one other. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when it's bother, gave you that scar."

'How does he know that? How could he possibly know that?' Harry thought alarmed. Then he waved the thought away, since he wouldn't get anywhere pondering it, and asked a question that had been bothering him for a long time.

"And who owned that wand?" Harry asked. Olivander gave him a quizzical look.

"We do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why. But I think it is clear, that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. Terrible, yes, but great."

Finishing Olivander placed the wand back into Harry's hand and walked back behind his desk to the shelves of wands. Harry exchanged glances with Vince before setting his payment for his wand on the desk and turning to leave. As they stepped out of the shop Vince heaved a sigh.

"You know, I don't think that guy's all there." Vince admitted as they started down the road they saw Kiryan go down .

"I don't know. He knew my name and it seems he knew a lot of other things to."

"Which is freaky and supports the fact that he can't possibly be all there."

"Never mind, let's just drop it."

"Because you know I was winning."

"What was the point of this conversation?"

"..."

"Right."

"Look, there's Kiryan." Vince pointed out, causing Harry to smirk. Harry: one, Vince: zero.

Harry looked over to where Vince was pointing to see Kiryan walking toward them, in her hands a cage holding a beautiful snowy white owl.

"Here." she said handing the owl to Harry. "This owl will be able to find us anywhere. Use her to mail us stuff, ok?"

Harry nodded and placed the owl with his other supplies as he, Kiryan, and Vince started back down the road to the Leaky Caldron.

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So, what do you think? I tried to take it word for word from the movie. In the next chapter I plan for Harry to run into his parents, brother, Remus, and Sirius. Let's see how it goes.

Reviews are always loved. Thanks for reading!


	6. Family?

Harry shifted slightly, playing with the food on his tray. Truthfully, he wasn't hungry. Glancing over at Kiryan and Vince as they sat talking about the strange habits of wizards he couldn't help but feel curious about something.

"Hey Kiryan." Harry said. Kiryan looked over at him questioningly. "I got a question."

Kiryan placed her fork on her plate and folded her arms on the table. "What is it?"

"It's just... something that the wand-maker said when he gave me my wand."

"What did he say?" she asked, now curious.

"He mentioned someone, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or something, and, I don't know, he sounds... familiar some how."

Kiryan stared at him for a minute before nodding. "He would. He was the one that attacked you and your brother the night you came to us."

"Yeah, I figured out as much." Harry admitted. " But... who was he exactly?"

Kiryan sighed, unfolded her arms and leaning forward, lowering her voice. "Harry, listen carefully, for you must understand this. Like all creatures in the world, not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. A few years ago one went as bad as you can go."

"Who was he?"

"His name was Voldemort. Whether that was his real name or not is still debated even amongst the Elves. Anyway, it was dark times Harry. Voldemort had been gathering followers, bringing them over to the dark side and gathering an army with all the 'dark' creatures in the world. Any one who stood up to him, ended up dead. Anyone but, as it seems, you and your brother."

"Sounds like a pleasant guy." Vince murmured under his breath. Harry glanced at him before looking back at Kiryan.

"What do you think happened to him?"

Kiryan shrugged. "Who knows? Some believe he's dead. Others, such as the Elves, believe he's still out there. But no one's certain for sure."

"Great. In other words there may still be a mad man out to get your brother's blood. Boy, would I hate to be him." Vince commented. Kiryan sighed and shook her head at the remark.

But the remark caught Harry's attention. Of course, if Voldemort was still alive he would go after Chase. Harry closed his eyes.

_"Listen to me very carefully Harry." she said. Suddenly the house shook slightly and Harry knew that whoever was out there had gotten past the first barrier. Lily closed her eyes momentarily before opening them again._

_"I need you to promise me something." she continued. At Harry's nod she grabbed his shoulders and gripped them._

_"Promise me that whatever happens to night that, no matter what, you'll always protect your brother." she said tearfully. Swallowing, Harry nodded._

_"Promise me Harry!" Lily said shaking slightly as the house gave another tremble; the second barrier was broken._

"_I promise." Harry said softly._

Harry opened his eyes and gazed out the window as Kiryan lectured Vince about making fun of human politics. If something were to happen to Chase, Harry knew deep down that he would step in no matter what. He just hoped it would never come to that.

"Well, come on you two. We still have one more stop to go until we can go back." Kiryan stated standing up.

"And where would that be?" Vince sighed.

"Gringotts, the wizard bank."

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"Mom, please tell me this is our last stop." Chase complained dragging his feet up the stone steps to the huge wooden doors along with his mom, dad, and uncles. "And why of all places here are we going to Gringotts? There's nothing fun to do here."

" Because we need to pick up some money for classroom supplies. Your father and I have to restock the cabinets this year." Lily paused and analyzed her son's expression before adding with a sigh, "And no, you don't have to come supplies shopping with us." Chase seemed to brighten at this news.

"Well, can we hurry up? I want to get home so that I can do some flying with dad before school."

"Honey, your father is the flying instructor along with Mrs. Hooch; you'll be flying with him every day!" Lily pointed out causing James to chuckle.

"Oh Lil's, leave the boy alone. If flying is his passion then who are we to take it away?" James asked.

"Well_ James, _if you hadn't showed him the meaning of flying before school started then we wouldn't have this problem."

James smiled at her tone and placed an arm around her waist. "You know what they say; practice makes perfect."

Lily shoved him away. "You're ridiculous."

"He's your husband." Sirius said somberly, but his eyes were laughing.

"Thanks for reminding me." Lily stated dryly over James's loud protests.

Remus watched the three in slight amusement. You'd think that years after they graduated they could act a little mature towards each other. Nope. Still the same old Lily, James, and Sirius. Well, almost the same old Sirius. The young, carefree man was still there but where his eyes used to be sparkling and unworried now bore slight shadows in them. You couldn't see them unless you were looking but Remus knew they were there; his eyes bore the same shadows.

Remus, lost in his thoughts, went to take a step when suddenly a surge of power almost put him to his knees. His head jerked around, his senses flaring, trying to locate the source when the power disappeared as quickly as it had came.

"Remus, is something wrong?" Remus looked up at the sound of Lily's voice before he realized that he had stopped walking.

"No, nothing at all. I just thought I heard something."

"Oh, okay." she said before turning and continuing up the steps. Sirius, however, waited for Remus to catch up to him before they started back up the steps together.

"I take it you felt it too." Remus whispered to Sirius. Sirius nodded before glancing around.

"Yeah, my animagus is going berserk. What ever it was, it was strong."

"And familiar somehow." Remus said slowly. Sirius looked over at him.

"Now that you mention it..."

"Remus. Sirius. Hurry up!" James called from the door. Remus and Sirius exchanged glances before jogging toward the door.

They quickly followed Lily and James through the doors, not wanting to be lectured about 'old age getting to them'. But just before the doors closed behind them Remus caught a glimpse of glowing emerald eyes.

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"...so what's the point of wearing robes? I mean they're long, they get in the way of movement, and they look like dresses. That and you probably could trip on the hem."Vince pointed out, quiet enough that the people around them couldn't hear but loud enough so that Harry and Kiryan could.

"You probably could trip but it's not our place to be biased on what Wizards wear." Kiryan lectured. Vince shrugged.

"I'm just pointing out the obvious."

Harry shook his head and sighed, looking toward the double wooden doors of Gringotts just in time to see two men disappear through them. The duo seemed familiar but Harry shook it off and turned back toward Kiryan.

"So why are we going here?"

Kiryan shrugged. "My Father just wanted us to pick up a few things from the vault he had established here a few decades ago. They're wizard items and he says that they maybe able to help you in the long run." She added looking over at Harry.

"Great, more freaky items." Vince grumbled.

"You're just jealous." Harry teased.

"Of Wizards? Yeah right."

"Quiet you two." Kiryan cut in as they stepped through the doors of the heavily warded bank. Inside was an enormous high ceiling room with desks and pillars lining the walls. Behind the numerous desks were creatures that Harry recognized as goblins who were talking to wizards of all different types. Harry started toward one of the lines but Kiryan grabbed his shoulder and indicated to the desk on the opposite site of the room.

"We need to go to that one. It's the only one that can bring us to our vault." She explained. Harry nodded as they went to the desk. Stopping in line behind a family in front of them. Just then the boy in front of them said something to the older man and swerved around; right into Vince. They both fell backward but Kiryan and Harry were able to catch Vince while the boy wasn't as lucky and fell on the floor on his arse. Harry made sure Vince was okay before glancing up at the boy; only to loose his breath.

It was his brother, Chase Potter.

Chase quickly picked himself off the floor and promptly dusted himself off before glaring at Vince. "Watch where you're going kid." He said arrogantly. At this two of the four adults with him turned toward them and scowled disapprovingly. Harry realized with a sinking heart that they were his parents; Lily and James Potter.

"That wasn't very nice. Apologize right now." Lily stated, hands on her hips. Vince raised an eyebrow.

"Apologize for what? He ran into me."

"How dare you accuse me of doing such an ungraceful thing! I'm the Boy-Who-Lived!" Chase declared pompously. Vince and Harry exchanged glances.

"To make the rest of us miserable." Vince muttered under his breath. Lily glared at him.

"How dare you-"

"Must be a Family saying"

"Boys, enough." James said strictly before looking pointedly at Vince. "Apologize now young man."

"For what-"

"Vince, just do it. We don't need any conflicts for today." Kiryan sighed, though Harry could tell that she was as embarrassed about the trio's behavior as he was. Vince looked at her and glanced at Harry before giving his own sigh.

"Ok. I'm sorry that your son is such an arrogant and self- centered fool and that he has his head so far up his arse that he can't tell the difference between imaginary and reality. But you know him better then I do."

"How dare you-" James began.

"Yep, definitely a family saying." Harry cut in causing Vince to snicker. Chase opened his mouth to retort when a goblin cut him off by asking the Potters to follow him. Harry watched as the trio huffed and followed behind the two men that had quickly taken the lead. Two men, Harry realized, who hadn't even turned around during the whole conversation.

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_Remus's point of view, 5 minutes prior_.

As Remus and Sirius entered Gringots they immediately spotted Lily, James, and Chase at the other end of the hall, where only special cases were handled. Sighing at his friends obvious arrogance that they were 'special' enough to be served by the Head Goblin himself Remus and Sirius exchanged a tired glance before walking over to the trio.

"What took you guys so long?" Chase asked offhandedly while stretching. Remus mentally shook his head at Chase's superior and demanding demeanor.

"Nothing, we were just stretching our legs."

James turned around and smirked. "Come on Remus, don't tell me you're getting that old."

"You're just as old as I am." Remus pointed out.

James waved a hand as if brushing something aside. "What ever you say, Moony."

Remus closed his eyes as James turned away and gave a mental sigh. One wouldn't think that the 'golden couple' of Hogwarts, aka Lily Evans and James Potter, would let a little fame go to their heads. But apparently it did, even though the fame wasn't even theirs. It was their son's, Chase Potter's, even though in Remus's eyes the boy didn't even deserve it; there was nothing that Remus could see that was great about him besides the size of his ego, not to mention the boy had enough arrogance to rival the entire Malfoy Family.

Remus gave another mental sigh, a habit that he did quite frequently these days, and glanced over at Sirius, who looked about the same way he felt. Remus knew deep down that he was only still friends with the Potters because Sirius wasn't ready to give up on them quite yet. Sirius still believed that their old friends were still in there some where and was willing to brave their twisted haughtiness to find it. And Remus was willing to stick with him for as long as it took him to obtain it; if he ever did.

The young werewolf was abruptly jerked out of his thoughts when the surge of strange power washed over him again. Beside him he felt Sirius stiffen and knew that he had felt it too. Just as he was debating the source he felt it near from behind him and stop. Remus froze, not moving a muscle, and felt Sirius do the same.

Suddenly Chase's voice broke through the silence. "I'm going to go see what is taking the goblins so long to serve us." he declared before swerving around, rather recklessly in Remus's opinion, and ran right someone behind him. Remus caught a quick glance of a young boy before he felt the magic behind him shift, causing him to freeze again. Though he did witness Chase falling rather ungracefully on his arse, which caused him to choke back a snicker.

He watched as Chase stood up and brushed himself off before announcing haughtily. "Watch where you're going kid." making Remus want to grind his teeth and, from Sirius's sudden shift, made him want to do something similar.

Lily and James turned around, causing Remus to frown slightly, and Lily put her hands on her hips.

"That wasn't very nice. Apologize right now." She stated, rising her chin.

"Apologize for what? He ran into me." Remus heard a males voice respond. He agreed with it wholeheartedly.

"How dare you accuse me of doing such an ungraceful thing! I'm the Boy-Who-Lived!" Chase declared pompously. Remus shook his head slightly before holding back a snort at the boy's retort of "To make the rest of us miserable."

Remus watched as Lily puffed up slightly. "How dare you-" she began, but the boy didn't allow her to finish.

"Must be a Family saying" he stated, obviously to someone beside him, though Remus had a feeling that it was the wielder of the strange power. Remus then couldn't help but have the fleeting thought of _'apparently they dare' _and a glance at Sirius showed he shared this speculation. Then James decided to step in.

"Boys, enough." James said strictly and glared at the spot where Remus suspected that the boy was standing. "Apologize now young man."

"For what-" The boy started before a female voice cut him off.

"Vince, just do it. We don't need any conflicts for today." the woman said, though Remus heard the resignation in her voice. He couldn't blame her; the Potters were being ridiculous over something so small.

He heard the boy, newly dubbed Vince, sigh. Vince then took a breath and began to speak.

"Ok. I'm sorry that your son is such an arrogant and self- centered fool and that he has his head so far up his arse that he can't tell the difference between imaginary and reality. But you know him better then I do."

At this point Remus and Sirius were trying desperately to stop from laughing. They watched as James huffed and puffed before raging out a "How dare you-"

"Yep, definitely a family saying." A new voice cut in, this one a males voice that was smooth and sleek. This, Remus realized, was the wielder of the strange power. Then it hit him.

The boy's voice alone held magic.

Now that Remus had heard him speak he knew. The boy could probably control people with his voice alone which meant that if his magic was mature enough to do that, then it had to be greatly mature in his mental and physical state as well. Remus wouldn't be surprised if the boy could do wandless _and_ wordless magic and possibly have no problem doing so. Not to mention his mental barriers had to be nearly impossible to breach. The only other wizards that could ever come close to that sort of power were Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort...

His thought process was cut off as a goblin walked up to them and told them to follow it. Remus and Sirius quickly did so and fell into pace behind the goblin toward the carts, the Potters trailing behind them. Sirius then turned toward him.

"You can not tell me you didn't feel that." he stated quietly so the Potters couldn't hear.

"I could, but then I'd be lying." Remus sighed.

"Who was that?"

"I don't know. I couldn't turn around for some reason." Remus admitted. Sirius nodded.

"I know, same here. And it still bothers me that the magic, especially at close range, felt so familiar. Yet I couldn't recognize the voice... did you notice it had magic entwined in it?"

"Yeah, I did notice that. Which means that who ever the speaker is we better not mess with him."

"You can say that again." Sirius sighed then glanced back at the Potters. "How come they didn't feel anything, you suppose?"

Remus shrugged. "Dumbledore always said that you have to be magically and mentally mature, not to mention clear headed, to feel magic. And I'm sorry to say it Sirius but Lily and James haven't bothered to be any of those ever since Dumbledore uttered the three words 'Boy-Who-Lived'. And Chase may never be any of those with how inflated his head is."

Sirius looked down. "You're probably right. But I just don't want to give up on them, you know?"

Remus nodded resentfully. "Yeah, I know."

Just then they had climbed into the cart, the Potters right behind them with Chase declaring how he should have taken Vince on and taught him his place. Sirius and Remus shook their heads at the same time as the cart rocketed off down the tunnels.

When the cart slowed to a stop in front of what Remus recognized as the Hufflepuff vault they got out and walked over to it, Chase grabbing the key out of the goblins hand to unlock it himself. The goblin frowned but said nothing and Remus felt sorry for the poor creature. When the vault opened the Potters strutted inside and filled their bags full of galleons before stepping back outside. As they were checking the heaviness of their bags Remus heard the sound of a cart pulling up and stopping at the vault next to theirs. He didn't think much of it until Chase looked up and sneered.

"Come for a second round?"

"Oh, not this little immature child again." Said a voice that Remus immediately recognized as Vince before the power of the strange magic washed over him again. But instead of freezing like before he forced himself to swerve around, having to know who the strange yet familiar power belonged to. But when he turned around his eyes immediately locked with a pair of familiar bright green ones, the strange color he had only seen once before. Beside him he heard Sirius suck in a sharp breath and uttered the word that was on both their tongues.

"Harry..."

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Oh, cliffhanger! Sorry about that guys, I just got a writers block, so if you have any ideas please help me out. Sorry for taking so long!

P.S. I just now noticed that my anonymous reviews was disabled and I am so sorry about that! I enabled it again. Sorry again!


	7. Inheritance

1Welcome back! I'm sorry if I continuously keep you guys waiting for new chapters. You see, I have a plot, but it's kind of hard to put it into words, you know? Any way, on to the Chapter.

_**SCE**_

_Silver Crescent Eclipse_

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Harry James Potter, aka Harry Kainyan "Kail" Halisio to the elves, was one of the best warriors of Alenious. He was known for his lightening fast reflexes and even quicker wit and mind. He was in top shape physically, his slim but slightly muscled form allowing him to dodge and run with the grace of a panther, yet attack with as much strength of one, all the while betraying the image of a small eleven year old. Yet it was his magic that was the most impressive trait about him. He could preform magic both wordlessly and stafflessly, merely by flourishing his hand slightly and thinking about what he wanted done. He could entwine his voice with power at will, using it to calm, control, of influence the emotions of others and manipulate any magical item he could get his hands on. Not to mention his nearly impenetrable mind and mind magics that he had developed over years of being around magical beings such as the elves, vampires, lycans, and other creatures that would enter your mind given the chance. But even with all of his gifts, powers, and training, nothing could have prepared Harry for a situation such as this.

They remembered him. After all of these years they had remembered him.

And recognized him apparently. Which Harry, with his new appearance, wouldn't have expected.

While his uncles stared at him, mouths slightly gapping, James, Lily, and Chase remained oblivious to the whispered name or their companions reactions. The trio continued to glare at Vince, Harry, and Kiryan. After a while Vince clicked his tongue at their childishness, Harry pondered how to approach his uncles, and Kiryan shook her head in disappointment at the wizards before disappearing into the vault the goblin they were with had kindly unlocked.

"What, no witty come back? Finally learned your place?" Chase announced. Vince gave an exasperated sigh.

"Will you get over yourself? We don't care if you are the bloody boy-who-lived-to-not-shut-up-about-living'. Now go back under your rock." Vince said before turning away and toward the vault. Harry followed him but not before mouthing a quick 'I'll talk to you later' to him uncles. Behind them they heard Chase huff and mutter about ungrateful twits and how that because of him they were alive, which caused Vince and Harry to exchange smirks. When they entered the vault Vince spoke up.

"Why don't you tell him the truth? One, it should lower him a few pegs and two the Wizarding world will know their true hero, not some pompous little spoilt brat."

Harry sat self-consciously on one of the chairs in the vault and looked up at Vince. "The Wizarding world isn't ready for the truth yet, Vince. That and they'd deny it. They're not like us magical creatures that see the truth for what it is. Their only human and they only believe what can be proven by their medieval methods. Including the truth."

"It's such a shame really. I hope the wizards catch on soon and come out of that small, secluded corner of theirs to realize that they're not the most powerful beings in this world and that the magical creatures are only letting them live out of pity. And here they think they're almighty enough to try and ban vampires, werewolves, centaurs, and other magical beings and drive them out of their territories. If you ask me, they're suicidal. All they have to do is bother the wrong creature and they'll be wiped from existence."

"True, but you're not going to be able to convince them of that." Harry said shrugging. Vince nodded. Just as the conversation ended Kiryan came over to them holding several items.

"These are some of the Old Artifacts that various powerful wizards have entrusted us to give to a wizard that we deem worthy of them. Since you're as close to a wizard as we're going to get my Father decided to give them to you." Kiryan said before shifting her weight and holding out a beautifully engraved crystal staff with a soft violet tint to it and carved runes through out it. "This staff belonged to a wizard named Merlin. He was one of the first wizards, so therefore knew staff magic before it was lost to them. Be careful with it though, it's known for having a personality all its own."

Harry carefully took the staff from her and immediately felt the stir of power within it. Personality indeed. The magic inside of had become powerful enough to become a sentient being and from what Harry come tell, it was curious and cautious of him but not, to his relief, denying him. He creased the staff lightly, reassuring the being that he was not going to hurt it, before he slowly lowered the staff into he side holster. The staff flared briefly before apparently deciding to trust him and settled down to a low thrum.

"That was interesting." Vince stated bluntly. "Though it would have been amusing to see what it would have done if it had denied you." This statement caused Kiryan to throw him a glare before turning back to Harry.

"Secondly, I want you to have these." She said holding out a small velvet pouch. Harry took it and reached inside, pulling out a ring. He looked at he questioningly. "These are the Thirteen Rings of Eston. It's said that the wearers of the rings form a telepathic connection with each other. So that they can contact each other mentally when ever they want."

"Handy." Vince said looking over at the ring in Harry's hand. Kiryan pointed at it with a soft smile.

"It seems the rings have chosen to serve you; the ring you hold in your hand is the Master Ring. While all the rings are connected to each other, they all are directly connected to the Master Ring, which you can use to control who talks to who, so to speak."

Harry nodded and slipped the ring onto his right ring finger. The ring glowed fleetingly before dimming. It was truly beautiful, the ring itself had a gold band with what looked like silver ivy twined around it. In the center of the ring was a nine-sided star shaped crystal that seemed to change color every time you glanced at it.

"Thanks, Kiryan." Harry said as he dipped his hand back into the bag and retrieved two more rings. "Here." He said handing one to Kiryan and Vince; those rings were gold with silver twined ivy as well but with a five sided star in the center instead of the nine sided star. "This way while I'm at school you two can still stay in contact with me and Vince can give me nightly lessons on what we learned in class."

"Hey, good idea." Kiryan said smiling as Vince groaned, but took the ring anyway and slipped it onto his finger. Kiryan did the same and handed Harry the next item.

"This is a broomstick. I know you have your wings but I very much doubt that it would be a good idea to use them at Hogwarts. This broom should be a good replacement though; it was made by a man named Sebastian, who was known for some of his most ingenious creations. It's one of the first brooms and the only one of its kind and there is no other to this day that could compare to it."

Harry took the broom and examined it. The handle was made of what Harry identified as diamond while the bristle part was made of some kind of wood that Harry couldn't distinguish that was entwined with silver. But what surprised Harry the most is that the broom had a seat on it, much like the kind on a bicycle. The seat was leather and colored black, corresponding with the white of the diamond perfectly. There was also a pair of black leather handle bars, which looked like they came from a scooter, that rose above the broom about a foot on a small diamond stand. This, Harry soon realized, could be retracted, handle bars and all, into the broom itself.

"Wow, Sebastian knocked himself out making this and creating it to be comfortable. I bet if he was still alive he would have cried at the state of the brooms today. How wizards ride those things without getting bruises in a certain place, I'll never know." Vince said shaking his head causing Kiryan to cough pointedly. She then handed Harry the last item she had been holding. Harry took it and stared down at the ruby and emerald pendant. The pendant was delicately designed, possessing the markings of the nine elements on its border (Water, Earth, Air, Fire, Lightning, Darkness, Light, Gravity, and Spirit) that looked to have been etched and set in some kind of foreign gem. In the middle of the pendant was the engraving of a gorgeous blue and yellow jeweled dragon that was rearing its head toward a diamonded sky. The chain of the pendant was entwined silver and gold.

"That is the Pendant of Equality. Do not ask me why it was named that. But it also entrusts the wearer with three gifts; the power to become invisible, you just have to want it, the power to walk threw any solid matter a will, and the power to 'speak' with the creatures that the pendant was designed, such as Dragons, Hippogriffs, Griffins, and other creatures."

"Wow Kiryan, I don't know what to say. These are all really powerful gifts." Harry said self-consciously as he slipped the chain over his head, letting the pendant rest against his chest. Kiryan smiled.

"Yeah, well, they _should_ be able to keep you alive. But then again, this is you..." Kiryan teased causing Harry to pout.

"Ha ha, you're hilarious."

They headed out of the vault, talking about testing the items, when a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Harry James Potter, where have you been!?"

Harry swerved around only to get knocked down by a blur of black fur. The next thing he knew Sirius was beside him checking him over and touching him, as if not believing he was real. Harry finally managed to bat Sirius's hands away and sit up into a sitting position before Sirius suddenly grabbed him and yanked him into a huge bear huge, gripping him hard.

"Oh God, it really is you..." Sirius breathed before pushing Harry away at arms length. "Why look at you, you look so grown up! You're not my little midget anymore! Well, actually you are still my little midget, but you got taller! That's a good thing, right?"

Harry blinked back the sudden tears as what was truly happening suddenly sank in. His uncles knew him, they remembered him, they missed him...

"I didn't think that you guys would remember..." he started.

"Not remember?" Remus said walking up behind Sirius. Harry suddenly realized that his parents and Chase were no where to be seen. "How do you expect us not to remember? You gave us the fright of our lives! We didn't know where you were, what happened to you, if you were alive of dead... we didn't know anything! Do you have any idea how much we missed you? Why didn't you come back or even tell us where you were..."

"You missed me?" Harry asked shocked.

"Of course we missed you! Like it or not, we love you, cub." Remus finished kneeling beside Sirius and ruffling Harry's hair. "And you are to never do that to us again."

Harry looked at Remus's and Sirius's faces before sighing happily and hugging them tightly, which they cheerfully responded to. Then a sudden thought struck Harry. He pulled away and looked up at them.

"They didn't even notice did they?"

Sirius sighed. "Not at first anyway. When it did finally occur to them they went to Dumbledore, who searched the house from top to bottom trying to find you. When he finally found the markings on the floor of that bedroom he proclaimed that you gave your life for your bother's and that when Chase saw you die his magic flared to life and destroyed The Dark Lord. Chase was then proclaimed the Boy-Who-Lived."

"That's ridiculous." Harry said flatly.

"_We_ know that. But the rest of the Wizarding world believes it." Remus murmured.

"Now they all think that Chase is some great entity or something. What's worse _Chase _believes it. As do Lily and James." Sirius added.

"So that's why he was acting like such a jerk, figures." Vince said from the cart where he and Kiryan were sitting.

"Yeah. And you are?"

"Oh, sorry Sirius, Remus. This is Kiryan and Vince. They're the ones I've been with all this time." Harry said smiling. Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" he said then turned toward Kiryan. "Well, then I must thank you for taking care of Harry all this time." Kiryan tilted her head.

"Excuse me?" a voice cut in and five pairs of eyes turned toward the small goblin that stood a little ways away from them. "All new comers to the bank have to do an Inheritance test."

Kiryan nodded in greeting to the goblin before excepting. "Myself and Vince are not Wizards but perhaps Harry will let you do him?"

Harry paused for a minute before nodding and dragging himself off of the floor. Sirius and Remus followed suite and soon they were all in the cart and on there way to the main office.

00

00

"So, what should I expect on this test?" Harry asked as he, Sirius, Remus, Kiryan, and Vince walked behind the Goblin toward a rather large office. The goblin glanced back at them.

"It depends mainly on your blood and you ancestry. It will essentially show you what you have inherited from your family, if anything."

"Well, okay. But I doubt I did inherit anything. It's probably all going to Chase."

"Not necessarily. You see, an individual or the individual's family can not interfere or give Inheritance to them-selves or their child. It depends on mainly if you're the true heir or not. The true heir can even be dead and it really wouldn't matter; the rings won't accept anyone but the real heir."

"So if Chase wasn't the true heir and he tried on one of the rings..." Remus started.

"The ring would reject him. And the Inheritance would rest until the true heir is born or comes to claim it."

"So either way you look at it if your not the true heir you won't be getting anything." Sirius stated. The goblin grinned, showing off pointed teeth.

"Either way."

"What exactly is Inheritance?" Harry asked quietly.

"It depends. It could be great power, great wealth, the awakening of dormant blood-"

"Like the awakening of a magical creature?" Harry cut in. The goblin glanced at him.

"In some rare cases, yes. Wizards don't usually marry magical creatures thanks to the 'pure blood' policy. But there are a few cases where a pure blood wizard married out side of their race. Though even then it is rare to see a magical creature's blood awaken in a wizard, even after the Inheritance. Usually it remains dormant through out a whole family line; unless provoked, that is."

"Provoked as in how?" Harry urged. Kiryan and Vince, who had caught on to what was going on, listened closely to what the goblin was saying.

"Well, I suppose it could be awakened by an accident or a life and death situation. But those, once more, are rare cases."

Harry blinked slowly before looking over at Kiryan and Vince, who were grinning. So that was why his Lestran side had awoken; well, at least that was one mystery solved.

"Interesting." Harry murmured politely. Remus and Sirius sent him a curious look at his tone and exchanged glances, but other wise remained silent. They'd get it out of him later.

By this time they had reached the office and entered it. Inside was a brightly lit wide room with light brown walls and little furniture besides a gigantic doughnut-shaped desk that occupied over half of the room. Harry and the others approached it and sat down at the chairs provided at the front while the goblin opened a slot on a side and sat in the hole in the middle. He shuffled a few papers around for a second before picking out two blank ones and setting them in front of Harry.

"These two will state what property, vaults, or businesses you have inherited and what magics is in your blood. Just place three drops of blood on each sheet." Harry nodded and made a gesturing movement with his hand, causing the knife that he always kept sheathed to his arm (a habit he had developed after being around unpredictable magical creatures all of his life) to spring into his hand. He flipped it over with practiced ease (much to the horror of his uncles) and pricked his finger, not even grimacing at the uncomfortable feeling. Holding his finger over the papers he let three drops fall on each before he sat back and waited.

There was a seconds delay, then writing began scrolling across the first sheet. Harry picked it up and studied it.

_00_

_**Harry James Kainyan Halisio-Potter, **__Heir of Lily and James Potter, Heir of Tom Riddle, Heir of Kiryan Salvenoes._

_**Heir Of**_

_Rightful Heir of- Godric Gryffindor -_

_Rightful Heir of - Rowena Ravenclaw - _

_Second Heir of - Salazar Slytherin - _

_Second Heir of - Helga Hufflepuff - _

_Third Heir of -Lord Marius Salvenoes -_

_Rightful Heir of - Lord Merlin -_

_Rightful Heir of - James Potter_

_Rightful Heir of - Tom Riddle_

_Rightful Heir of - Kiryan Salvenoes_

_Rightful Heir of - Renose Grindelwald _

_Rightful Heir of - Sirius Black_

_**Heir to Title**_

_Lord Merlin_

_Lord Grindelwald_

_Lord Gryffindor_

_Lord Ravenclaw_

_Lord Potter_

_Keeper of Shadows_

_**Properties**_

_Potter Mansion- London_

_Potter Cottage- California Beach, USA_

_Godric's Hollow- London_

_Gryffindor Mansion- Greece_

_Gryffindor Castle- Spain_

_Gryffindor Forest- Spain_

_1/4 Hogwarts- European Wizard's School_

_Gryffindor House- Rome_

_Ravenclaw Castle- Transylvania_

_Ravenclaw Valley- Transylvania_

_1/4 Hogwarts- European Wizard's School_

_Ravenclaw Cabin- Italy_

_Ravenclaw Mansion- Unknown_

_House of Merlin- Carpathian Mountains_

_Merlin Residence- Australia_

_Merlin Castle- Unknown_

_Merlin Estates- Unknown_

_Merlin Mansion- Unknown_

_Grindelwald Cabin- London_

_Grindelwald Cottage- Maine, USA _

_Grindelwald Mansion - London_

_**Buisnesses**_

_Zonko's_

_The Daily Prophet_

_1/3 Madam Malkin's Robes_

_1/6 The Quibbler_

_1/5 Olivanders_

_1/3 Saint Mangoes Hospital_

_½ Hogwarts_

_½ Department od Defense _

_1/2 Department of Mysteries_

_2/3 Department of Magical Creatures_

_**Vaults**_

_Potter Vault_

_Potter Family Vault_

_Gryffindor Vault_

_Gryffindor Family Vault_

_Gryffindor Weaponry Vault_

_Grindelwald Vault_

_Grindelwald Family Vault_

_Ravenclaw Vault_

_Ravenclaw Family Vault_

_Merlin's Vault_

_Merlin's Artifacts Vault_

00

Harry blinked before rereading it. "This can't be right." He murmured. Sirius and Remus both looked over his shoulder and gasped.

"Well, you never have to worry about being poor." Sirius stated softly before giving a bark of laughter. "Needless to say Chase isn't going to inherit anything from his fathers side... and nothing from his mothers either because it states that you are the second Heir of Hufflepuff, Lily must be first, and... oh that's curious." Sirius looked up at the smirking goblin. "How come Harry's the direct Heir of Potter and Gryffundor? Isn't that James?"

"Fortunately, no. The Inheritance and rings rejected James Potter; apparently he wasn't the_ true _Heir."

"Then how have they been living so nicely all these years if James has no access to the Potter or Gryffindor... anything?"

"Well, Lily Evans has been supporting them using the Hufflepuff Vaults. Also James and Lily Potter have opened a few of their own Vaults, bought their own lands, and started their own businesses, all that make a pretty good income and will be inherited by Chase Potter no doubt. Also it helps to have friends in high places, like a certain Headmaster."

"How am I related to Tom Riddle and Kiryan though?" Harry said ignoring the comment for now.

"I can answer the second part." Kiryan cut in. "You see, I named you my heir after you had stayed with us a few years; that way non of the other beings we were with would intentionally kill you. That, and I see you as my son anyway." She added with a smile making Harry feel warm.

"As for Tom Riddle, that's a mystery. I suppose that when he tried to kill you and your brother he accidentally marked you as his heir... but that would also mean..." Suddenly the goblins face went smug and he sat back smirking.

"That would mean...?" Remus probed.

"That would mean that the Great and powerful Albus Dumbledore made a mastake." The goblin said smugly.

"Care to elaborate?" Sirius asked.

"Well, how could Mr. Harry Potter be the heir of Tom Riddle, who is the heir of Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw? How could he be when there is only one way he possibly could be. And that way is..."

"If Tom marks him as his son through a spell." Remus filled in. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Mr. Lupin, who exactly is Tom Riddle?"

"Um..."

"He goes by another name, one the wizarding world knows so well."

Remus blinked before his eyes widened. "So Tom Riddle is..."

"Lord Voldemort."

Remus sat back abruptly while Sirius gapped.

"No way." Sirius stated. "There is no way that V... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named marked Harry as his Heir-"

Remus's gasp cut him off. "Unless..." He said softly.

"That's right Mr. Lupin." the goblin stated. "You see, Mr. Black, that night when the Potters were attacked, it was not Chase Potter that destroyed the Dark Lord; It was Harry Potter."

"But how?" Sirius asked, lost for words.

"I can not be sure."

Harry paused. "Wait... if I'm Voldemorts heir then why didn't I inherit anything from him. That could only happen if..."

"He's still alive."

"But how?" Harry said quoting his uncle.

"I'm not sure." the goblin stated.

Harry thought for a moment before looking up. "Could that fact that Voldemort was aiming for Chase when I jumped in front of him change anything?"

The goblin's eyes suddenly lit up. "Actually it would. You see when a caster casts a spell on someone the spell uses some of that person's energy to fuel it. So when Lord Voldemort cast that killing curse at Chase it had his energy entwined with it so that when it hit him it would kill him. But since you jumped in the way your energy mixed with the spell when it hit you and instead of killing you, like it should have done anyway, different energy or not, it had the opposite affect and marked you as Lord Voldemort's Heir. And when that happened, I'm betting that The Dark Lord's magic got confused and backlashed against him, destroying his body, but not, apparently, his soul. That's why he's still the heir, because technically he's still alive."

The goblin paused before continuing. "Like I said, it should have killed you anyway, like it does most of the time with anyone who interferes, but it seems that you are, once again, a special case."

Vince snickered as Harry grimaced at the statement before picking up the second sheet of paper. Harry smiled slightly when the word he saw the title Lestran on what type of creature he was instead of the usual 'human'. He skimmed through the rest of the contents, knowing already whet they would say about his power levels (which were _way_ above that of a normal wizard), about his ability to preform magic without a wand (with a staff or just on his own), about his ability on non-verbal spells (honestly, they weren't that hard (for him)), and about his unnatural gifts and abilities (Occlumency, Bloodmagic, Necromancy, Soulmagic, Ancient Magic, etc.). Finishing, he folded the sheet and put it in his pocket. After all, it wouldn't do for any wizards to know that he could do all of those things; most of the things that the sheet could name was claimed by the Ministry as 'dark'.

The goblin, seeing that Harry was finished, pushed a blue button that resided on his armrest. The parchment with Harry's Inheritance on it glowed briefly and suddenly six small velvet boxes appeared on it. The goblin picked up the red and gold velvet box first and handed it to Harry.

"This is the ring of Godric Gryffindor; it didn't accept your father for some reason but perhaps it will accept you." the goblin stated. Harry looked at him for a second before opening the box. Inside was a entwined gold band with a giant ruby in the middle supporting the engraved image of a rearing lion; the Gryffindor crest.

Carefully taking it out of the box he held it up to the light. You could practically see the magic that thrummed around it. Finishing his inspection he slipped it on next to the Master Ring. Gryffindor's ring immediately started humming, assessing him as Merlins staff had, before it to settled. Harry looked up at the sound of a sigh and met the goblins gaze.

"Gryffindor is indeed very picky; you're the first one that he has accepted as an heir in generations."

Harry gazed blankly at him for a minute before looking back down at the ring that was gleaming innocently on his middle finger. Shrugging off the surprise he accepted another box from the goblin; this one held a ring that was carved from silver. In the center of the band was a sapphire stone with a symbol of a raven preparing for flight; Ravenclaw. Slipping it onto is index finger next to the Gryffindor ring Harry gazed at it as it too settled.

This process continued on with Merlin's ring ( a diamond band supporting a violet stone with a singing phoenix carved on it), the Grindelwald ring (a silver band sustaining a white stone with a Pegasus rearing), and finally the Potter ring, which had a gold band which supported a ruby with a griffin engraved on it. When they got to the last ring the goblin picking up the pitch-black velvet box and held it between his stubby fingers.

"This is the Ring of the Keeper of Shadows. And the title of Keeper of Shadows is a very powerful responsibility. Don't ask me why; that information has been lost over the years. The last Keeper was over 3 thousand years ago. You don't have to accept the title though; we will not force you to take this responsibility. Just remember to not make the decision lightly. The choice is yours." and after that very confusing speech he handed the box to Harry.

Harry took it and paused for a minute before opening it. Inside was a beautiful black diamond band with a glittering dark sapphire on it. Around the sapphire was the nine elements, each carved with the colored stone they represented. Engraved on the sapphire was a sparkling white Basilisk curled peacefully asleep around a resting midnight black Phoenix. Harry gazed at it in wonder. The details in the scene was shocking, from the grassy landscape and rising oak tree to the star filled sky with a bright full moon. Automatically sliding it onto his finger he looked up from it to see the goblin smiling.

"Welcome, Keeper of Shadows." he stated softly before picking up Harry's Inheritance parchment and handing it to him. "Bring this to the front desk and they will get you your keys, crests, and deeds. Have a good day Mr. Potter."

As Harry and the others were rushed out of the office Harry gazed down at the seven rings on his fingers. Suddenly realizing that it probably wasn't a good idea to be seen with them, yet not being able to bring himself to take them off, Harry turned toward Kiryan.

"Hey Kiryan, do you know any spells that can conceal these? I don't think the world is ready for this either."

Kiryan nodded and took his hands in hers. After a few murmured spells later the rings vanished from view; though Harry could still feel their reassuring weight on his fingers. He knew he could cancel the spell later if needed.

Sirius turned toward him after she was done. "I still can't believe it; you're the real boy who lived! Well, actually if you think about it, it does make sense. Chase never showed any signs of being special at all; he just barely came into his powers a year ago!"

"Oh yeah, I meant to ask you about that; what made Dumbledore think that Chase preformed accidental magic in the first place?"

"Well, Chase's palm was bleeding when he was found. Personally I think that he had cut himself on that knife we found in the room you disappeared from. But Dumbledore doesn't think so. Chase even has a scar on his palm which everyone refers to as 'The Cursed Scar'. Pretty pathetic, eh?"

"Well, they got the scar part right." At Sirius's curious look Harry reached up and moved aside his bangs, revealing his infamous lightning bolt scar. Sirius gapped before immediately going into protective parent mode and looking Harry over.

"Where I the world did you get this?"

"That night when Voldemort attaked us; when his spell hit me it apparently released my Inheritance, made me his heir, and marked me with this. Not bad for a night's work, huh?"

Sirius gave him a disapproving look as they reached the front desk. Handing the goblin there his Inheritance parchment Harry and the others only had to wait a few minutes before the goblin handed him his keys and papers, all the while giving him a curious look.

Walking out of the Bank and into Diagon alley Harry and the others headed for the exit to go get something to eat when a powerful urge suddenly hit Harry, making he stumbled a little and causing Sirius and Remus to look at him in alarm. Swerving his head in the direction of the urge he looked back at the others.

"Why don't you guys meet me inside of the Leaky Cauldron; I need to do something real quick." At Sirius's and Remus's reluctant looks he urged "I'll only be a minute."

The others grudgingly agreed and headed off in the direction of the Inn while Harry followed the urge out of the bustling Alley and into a smaller, slightly deserted one. Looking to the right he spotted the sign "Knockturn Alley". Shrugging off the unease he continued forward. People there eyed him suspiciously but otherwise left him alone thankfully. Harry finally stopped in front of a rundown shop.

Tilting his head slightly he read the sign; 'Dangerous Animals and Pets'. Curious as of why his magic had lead him here he entered.

A small bell rang as he entered the large, dusty room. Immediately his senses were assaulted by the presence of the poisonous and dangerous creatures around him. Ignoring the creatures as they hissed and spat at him he followed his senses toward the back of the room. Coming up against a blank wall he frowned before raising his hand and pressing it against the cement wall, instantly feeling it as it shifted under his hand, disappearing.

Pausing he shrugged; he had come all this way he might as well finish it. Preparing him self he stepped into the hidden room. And blinked.

The room was small, slightly bigger then a closet, and held four metal barred cages. Cautiously he approached them, stopping in front of the one closest to him and peering in.

At first all he saw was darkness before a small, furry shape appeared in his line of vision. He stared curiously at it before leaning forward.

"Hello?" he said hesitantly. Then hastily reared backward when the shape moved and stretched. From his view he could see sharp claws extract as the shape stretched its front and the gleam off of pointed teeth as it yawned. Then the shape settled and looked toward him; he gaze was immediately caught by glowing violet eyes.

The creature looked just as shocked to see him. He saw the eyes spark defensively before the figure hesitantly paced into the light. Harry then felt the shock leave him and berated himself at his foolishness.

The creature was just a small pure black kitten with deep violet eyes. Then Harry noticed the reason why he reacted the way he did; the kitten's teeth were more pointed then they were suppose to be and its limbs, more powerful, not to mention its claws.

And then there was its wings; it had two shiny black fur/ feathered wings with sharp blades at the ends and what appeared to be two crisp claws on the outer tips.

"What are you?" Harry asked quietly. And was suddenly surprised when he got a reply.

"I'm a Sable."

Harry flung himself backwards and gazed gapping at the snickering feline. "You talk?"

The Sable tilted its head slightly. "Not really; usually people don't understand me, but I can understand them. Why can you understand me?"

"I don't know." Harry said, his hand reaching up to cover his rapidly beating heart; only to come in contact with the Pendant of Equality. He picked it up and looked at it before it hit him. The pendant enabled him to speak with the magical creatures for which it was created. This Sable must be one of them. Harry picked himself up off of the floor and crouched in front of the young Sable's cage again.

"So I take it you don't have much company do you?"

"Not besides my three friends no. That stupid human keeps us locked up in here all the time. I personally have been in this boring room for over five years now. The others, even longer."

"The others?"

"My friends, Kestrel, Stephano, and Ebony. I'm Rowan by the way."

"Harry Potter. But sometimes I go by Kail."

"Kail. I like it."

Harry smiled at the newly dubbed Rowan and looked at the other cages. "Are those where your friends are?"

Rowan nodded "Yes. But careful though; Ebony's been in a sour mood lately. Not that I blame him."

Harry nodded and stood up, walking over to the cage next to Rowan's. Peering in he was directly met with glowing gold eyes. The creature then shifted and trotted into the light, sitting down on its haunches and examining him. The creature looked like a small wolf with dark blue fur and gold eyes. Only when he saw the seven-sided star shaped pupils on the eyes did Harry realize what he was looking at. He gasped.

"You're a Grim!" He said shocked.

"And you're observant. But no, unfortunately I'm not entirely a Grim. You see, my father was a Grim, but my mother was a wolf. So I don't have the power to kill like a Grim; though I do have the power to give my enemies bad luck."

"Handy." Harry murmured. The wolf/Grim snickered.

"Indeed."

"That's Stephano, Kail." Rowan's voice spoke up. Harry turned his head and could slightly make her out through 'Stephano's' bars.

"Hush, you fur ball." Stephano snapped but Harry could hear the underlining hint of affection in the statement. Smiling slightly at the two friends antics he stood again and turned toward the next cage. Only to freeze in shock.

Inside was a green, blue, and violet Phoenix. Its feathers looked sleek and glossy, its claws sharpened perfectly, and its wings carefully folded on its back. But its head was lowered sadly, crystal tears dropping into a pan at the bottom of the cage. The Phoenix slowly raised its head and Harry was met with tormented sapphire blue eyes. Harry felt as if he heart had dropped as he stared at the once magnificent creature.

"What happened to you?" He asked it softly. Surprisingly it was Rowan who answered.

"That's Kestrel. She doesn't talk as far as we know, but we know that she was captured from the wild at a young age and held prisoner ever since by various humans. She has all but given up hope now."

"If she can't talk how do you know that and her name?" Harry asked. He could make out Rowan shrugging.

"She told us, but not using words. More like images that she can put into our heads. That's how she communicates with us."

"Huh." Harry said, gazing at Kestrel sadly.

_Well, when it comes down to it in the long run we have all suffered to same fate _A hissing voice stated. Harry snapped his head toward the last cage and met slitted green eyes.

_You must be Ebony._ Harry hissed back. He had learned a long time ago that he had the gift of Parseltongue; the power to speak with snakes.

_Yess _Ebony hissed as he uncoiled and slithered to the front of the cage. Harry then got a good look at him.

Ebony certainly suited him; his scales were all a glittering midnight black except the scales on his back, which seemed to be sparkling red and gold jewels, that covered his back from head to tail and formed an exotic design on the back of his flaring hood. Harry couldn't guess what kind of snake he was but he was about 5 feet long and about twice as thick as Harry's wrist.

Just as Harry opened his mouth to ask Ebony something the wall swung open and a man stepped into the room. Then froze when he saw Harry, his face taking on an angry purple.

"What are you doing in this room, Boy? This room is top secret-"

"I wish the purchase these creatures." Harry stated calmly.

The man's face went from purple to red. "They're not for sale." He stated arrogantly. But Harry merely smiled.

"Here's the deal Mr..."

"Brofs." the man inserted grudgingly.

"Mr. Brofs. If you do not sell me these creatures, at a price of your choice by the way, then I will assure the Ministry of the fact that you have hidden artifacts andcreatures that they do not know of."

Mr. Brofs went even redder before he marched over and yanked the tray of phoenix tears out of Kestrel's cage, then paused and turned toward Harry again, this time a greedy look in his eyes.

"Any price of my choice?" The man asked. Harry nodded confidently.

"Fine, then I want 1 million pounds for the creatures. Each." He stated triumphantly, positive that this little boy didn't have that much. So needless to say that he was surprised when the boy pulled out a small slip and wrote down the total, signed the slip, and handed it to him. He took the slip automatically and looked down at it. It was a bank slip, a real one he could tell, with 4 million pounds written clearly in ink. He looked up from the slip to the boy who was smirking slightly. Heaving a sigh he grudgingly handed the boy the keys to the cages.

"They're all yours. Truthfully they were becoming useless anyway." he growled as he swerved on his heal and marched out of the room, going straight to the bank to cash his new check.

Harry stared after the man as he left in a slight shock, keys in his hands. He didn't actually think the man would take the money but apparently he was wrong. Which was perfectly fine with him. Turning back toward the cages he kneeled down in front of Rowan's.

"Hey Rowan, do you want to come with me as one of my companions?"

Rowan's ears perked up and she looked at him with wide violet eyes. "Really? But how?"

"You know that man I was talking to?" she nodded with a dark look in her eyes. "Well, I traded him something for you and the other's freedom. So what do you say, you want to come with me?"

Rowan nodded vigorously. "Yes! I'd love to!" she cried happily. Harry smiled and unlocked the cage. As soon as he opened the door a ball of fuzz immediately pounced on him, rubbing against him and purring cheerfully. He laughed and peeled Rowan off of him. She let go but hopped up onto his shoulder, sitting down and continuing to purr. Harry shook his head at his knew familiar's antics and walked over to Stephano's cage, kneeling before it.

"How about you Stephano? How does a home sound?"

Stephano stretched and stood up slowly looking between Harry and the happily purring Rowan. He stepped up to the cage door.

"It sounds good to me. As long as I don't get separated from my friends."

"Deal." Harry said as he unlocked the door. Stephano had a lot more grace exiting then Rowan did and sat by Harry's side. Harry the turned toward Kestrel

"Hey girl," He said softly as he pushed his fingers through the bars to stroke her soft feathers. "I'm going to free you okay? And when I do you can come with me and the others or you can go free to do what ever you want. You've been a prisoner long enough so I'll understand if you want to be free. It's your choice."

Kestrel had raised her head by the time when he had finished and gave a soft chirp in acknowledgment. Harry smiled gently and unlocked the cage, offering his arm. Kestrel hopped onto it and he lowered her out of her cage. She chirped again and jumped to his other shoulder that was not occupied by Rowan, whose purrs had gotten louder. Harry turned to the final cage.

_What do you say Ebony? Want to get out of your nice, warm cage?_

Ebony snorted, a noise that sounded weird coming from a snake, and looked up at Harry calculating. _You are strange for a human _He stated. Harry smirked.

_Well that's good despite the fact that I'm _not_ human_

_Not Human?_

_I'm a Lestran, a magical winged being with the power of flight and telekinesis._

_Oh, I've heard of your kind. Very well; I will go with you and my friends._

_You have to promise not to bite anyone unless you feel threatened, it's necessary, or I say so._

_Very well; I, Ebony, promise not to bite a sentient being unless Harry Kail Potter gives me permission, I feel threatened, or if it is necessary._

Harry felt the magic of the contract settle around them and smiled. _Thank you _He hissed before unlocking the cage and allowing Ebony to curl himself around Harry's waist.

Readjusting Rowan and Kestrel to his arms he pulling his cloak over them and Ebony before darting out of the room and shop, Stephano right on his heels. As soon as he reached Diagon Alley he relaxed slightly before making his way through the crowds toward the Leaky Cauldron. Stephano kept perfect pace with him through the crowds and soon enough they were through the brick wall and in the Inn.

Looking around he spotted Sirius, Remus, Vince, and Kiryan laughing near the back and made his way toward them. Remus was the first to notice him and waved, diverting the others attention away from the conversation and to him. Sirius stood to greet him and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the wolf at his godson's heels.

"Where have you been?" Kiryan asked, also noticing the wolf.

"Getting my new familiars." Harry stated.

"Familiars as in plural?" Vince asked.

Harry looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before he turned toward them.

"You have to promise not to scream." He said as Stephano jumped up onto a chair and sat down. Remus and Vince both raised an eyebrow at that. All four nodded. Taking a deep breath Harry opened his cloak and gently set Kestrel on the table while Rowan jumped onto the table in front of Stephano and gazed around in wonder. Ebony peaked his head out his Harry's cloak before slithering out and draping himself on Stephano's chair. Meanwhile, the other four occupants of the table sat there gapping.

Sirius finally spoke up. "So you left us to get a snake that's probably more poisonous then a Mamba, a phoenix, a wolf, and a cat?"

Harry looked annoyed. "Rowan isn't a cat, she's a Sable. And Stephano's part Grim."

At that Sirius sat down abruptly while Vince burst out laughing.

"Only you, Harry, only you." He said though laughs. Rowan looked offended while Ebony looked bored and Stephano looked bemused. Harry then turned toward Kestrel.

"You can go you know, you don't have to stay. I made you a promise remember?"

Kestrel looked at Harry steadily while the others watched in fascination. Then she chirped and fluttered over into Harry's arms, causing him to laugh when she nudged his face. Smiling at his willing familiar he grinned at the others.

"So the Sable's name is Rowan and the wolf is Stephano. So what's the other two's names?" Remus asked as he and Kiryan smiled at him. Harry smiled back at them.

"This is Kestrel and the other is Ebony." Harry said indicating to the phoenix in his arms and the curled up snake on the chair.

"Well, welcome to the family guys." Lupin said petting Rowan and Stephano and stroking Ebony and Kestrel. Sirius, finally accepting that he was in the presence of a Sable, Grim, Poisonous snake, and Pheonix, sat back in his chair grinning slightly. Then he frowned.

"Where are they going to stay when you go to Hogwarts?"

Harry blinked at the question. "With me of course, where else would they go?"

"So you're bring all five of your familars with you to Hogwarts?"

"Well yeah. I got the required owl; Hedwig. But it didn't say anything about bring other pets. Anyway, I have an oath with Ebony so he won't bite anyone, unless under certain conditions, and Rowan, Stephano, and Kestrel won't really be a problem unless they interrupt classes or knock down a suite of armor or something. So I see nothing wrong with them coming."

The table was silent before Sirius sat back in his seat, a smirk on his face. "This year is going to be interesting indeed. The old man will never know what hit him."

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Sorry about all the cramming in this chapter; I just wanted to introduce Rowan and the others, tell you the artifacts he got, and his Inheritance. I know, I know, another one of those 'he comes into a lot of money, titles, and land' stories but I honestly couldn't resist. As for the artifacts they will play a key roll later in this story and the others, like the Pendant enables Harry to talk to Rowan and Stephano, and the broom is going to be handy in pissing off his brother. As for the Familiars I just wanted to do something knew and exciting. Now that I got all that covered I will be able to get to the Train and Hogwarts part.

P.S. If you don't like Ron, Draco, or Ginny this is not the story for you.

P.S.S. I'm going to make a deal with you guys. I can either

1) Make the Chapters short and update about every 1-3 weeks or

2) Make the Chapters long and not update in a long, long time.

Review and tell me which one you want. Or Review in general; I love it when you guys leave long reviews, it really helps me with my writing.


	8. Friends and School

_**READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

_**REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

Hi guys! Thanks for your reviews! And while I'm at it I just wanted to make a few things clear.

On a few of my reviews the people pointed out that I made Harry into some kind of 'demigod', so to speak. I want to let you guys know that, that was not my intention. Harry, when it comes down to it, is powerful but that's because of his upbringing. You have to remember that he was brought up with the Elves and was therefore around varieties of powerful magical creatures. So in general in order to survive he had to develop his powers to an extent. So of course he'd be powerful, but he's not so powerful that's he's invincible. Like for instance someone like Voldemort or Dumbledore could probably beat him hands down. Not to mention the magical creatures like the Ancients, Leaders, or powerful beings in general could probably flatten him. The only thing that he could beat Dumbledore (though not Voldemort) and the magical creatures besides the Elves and Vampires at would be his mind magics like, Occlemency and Legenmecy, since he had to develop them to their strongest over the years. Otherwise it's like I said in the beginning; he's powerful enough to hold his ground but not to take on the world.

Also I understand that I made him out to be very rich and very powerful in standing. Once again I didn't mean for it to seem like that, I just wanted to let you guys know that he and Voldemort have a really powerful back round, being the descendants of the Four Founders (Harry being the direct descendant of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and Voldemort being the direct descendant of Slytherin and Ravenclaw). Also, I made Harry the descendant of Merlin so he could control Merlin's Staff, which plays a key part in future stories, and the descendant of Grindelwald so that he can Shadaow (it's just like Apparition but quieter and by shadows). Likewise, he Inherited Gryffindor's, Merlin's, and Grindelwald's properties and vaults and stuff like that because it kind of goes with the package, you know. It wouldn't make sense if you were the direct descendant of some one powerful and not Inherit anything. And since his ancestors were so powerful and influential they'd of course have a lot of stuff. Sorry about the misunderstanding but there was know other way around it.

Moreover, he Inherited Ravenclaw's title because Ravenclaw was a 'Light' witch and so had the ring reject Voldemort the title since he's a 'Dark' wizard. So the title had automatically went to Harry, which Voldemort had accidentally marked as his heir (and since he has no blood heir). So Harry's Slytherin's and Ravenclaw's heir through magic, not through blood.

Anyway, I just wanted to straighten that out. Sorry if I confused you guys. Onto the chapter!

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"Oof!" a young black Sable cried out as she was flung ungracefully from the brick fire place and face first into the cold stone floor. Rowan Halisio placed her front paws over her stinging nose as a big wolf appeared out of the fireplace and landed elegantly beside her. Stephano Halisio gave her an amused look as their other companions joined them.

"I don't like that way of traveling." Rowan complained as she stood up rubbing her stinging nose with her right paw.

"It's the fastest way we have. If we had driven it would of taken us hours." Harry replied as he picked up his black trunk beside him and started pulling it toward the exit. Rowan pouted as Stenphano passed her snicking before she expanded her black furry/ feathered wings and flew over to Harry's shoulder, settling on it. Above her she could hear a light phoenix song as Kestrel flew above them, rejoicing in the thrill of flying once more. Rowan glanced back at the two humans that were with them. They smelled like her Kitt (Harry) and were very nice and accepting of Rowan and her friends.

Rowan remembered their other two companions that they had left behind at the den. Those two had smelled sweet and foreign and were what her Kitt referred to as Elves. They had to leave them because the Elves couldn't go where they were going. It was some kind of school or something. Rowan shrugged out of her thoughts before yawning.

"How much longer until we get there?" Rowan asked aloud.

"Not long, we just have to take a train to the school." Harry replied. Rowan groaned.

"More weird ways of traveling?" she said complainingly. Harry chuckled.

"No, this way's Muggle; but you might get motion sickness though."

Rowan cogitated that for a moment before Harry suddenly reached up and snatched her off of his shoulder and tucked her into his arms. Remus took his truck and owl cage that contained a bird named Hegwig from him as he called for Kestrel, who immediately flew down and settled on his arm next to Rowan. Then Harry drew them inside of his cloak to join Ebony, who was rapped around his waist. Rowan pouted and slumped in his arms.

"Why does Stephano get to roam free?" she sulked.

_~Maybe because he is too big to hide.~ _Ebony hissed to her.

"So? Stuff him in a trunk or something." Rowan pointed out but went silent when Kestrel ruffled her feathers. Where ever they were going, they had better hurry up.

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"Hurry up!" Sirius called over his shoulder at Remus, Harry, and Stephano as he ran toward the center of the crowded train station they were at. Harry broke into a light jog with Stephano at his heels and Remus beside him to catch up to his speeding godfather. A glance at the station's clock proved that Sirius was right; it was 11:55. Picking up his pace he sprinted to his godfather; only to stop dead to avoid smacking into him.

Sirius was standing in front of a large stone pillar with the numbers 9 and 10 on signs connected to it. Harry glanced up at the Animagus to ensure he was okay.

"Okay, we're here. You can go first Harry."

Harry glanced up. "Pardon?"

Sirius looked down at him for a moment before he gave a slight laugh.

"Oh, right. Sorry, my bad." he said and walked toward the stone pillar. Harry was going to open his mouth to tell Sirius to watch where he was going when suddenly Sirius connected with the wall; and walked right through it.

Harry blinked before looked over at Remus's bemused expression. Remus made a shooing motion with his hands and Harry turned toward Stephano.

"You ready?"

"You're kidding right?" Stephano said as he gazed at the wall. "I'm not going through that."

"Oh, come on Stephano. We don't have time to argue; the train is going to leave in 3 minutes!"

"All right, all right!" Stephano said and stood beside Harry before closing his eyes. "Tell me when it's over."

Harry shook his head and took a deep breath before walking forward, Stephano beside him, straight through the wall. Harry felt a pulling sensation and the wisps of magic swirl around him before his feet touched the floor once more.

Sirius smiled at the sight of his bewildered godson and his canine familiar. He remembered his first time through the portal; and when he reached the other side. Let's just say that he had become well acquainted with the floor. Waving his godson over Sirius made his way to the red and gold train, toward the front.

Harry trotted toward his godfather. Right as he got to the middle part of the train he suddenly heard a yell and the sound of fast moving footsteps. He quickly spun around to meet his attacker - when just as quickly his 'attacker' slammed into him, knocking them both down.

Harry twisted around in midair, landing hard on his knees. Just as he was going to fall forward, and knowing that he wouldn't be able to catch himself because he was holding Rowan and Kestrel, Stephano appeared in front of him, breaking his fall. Hearing Rowan's, Kestrel's, and Ebony's noises of displeasure at being jangled around he murmured a soft thank you to Stephano before struggling to regain his footing and standing up. Making sure that the others were okay he turned toward his 'attacker'.

A young girl laid sprawled on the ground, books spread around her, rubbing her head. She was small and looked about a year younger then him with long bright red hair and matching red robes. Shifting Kestrel onto the same arm as Rowan he knelt down and picked up her books before kneeling in front of her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She looked up and he was met with bright green eyes.

"I think so..." she said softly before her eyes cleared and her head jerked up. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you , I should have been watching where I was going, I-"

"Hey, it's okay. See, no harm done." Harry said indicating to himself before offering her his arm (his hand was holding her books) and helping her up. "I'm Harry by the way."

"Ginny." she said smiling. "You going to Hogwarts?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I have to wait till next year. You see, I'm ten right now." she explained. Harry smiled.

"Well, in that case, I'll tell you what to expect."

"Really?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah, I'll mail you every once in a while. Think of me as some kind of pen pal."

"Seriously? You'd do that? Thanks. I look forward to your letters." she said ecstatically as Harry handed her, her books. Then her eyes went wide.

"Oh shoot! I was supposed to give these to Percy! Well, see you later Harry! I'll wright you as soon as I can!" she called as she ran toward the train waving. Harry stood there slightly lost as she disappeared into the crowd, a part of him wanting to run after her. Shaking the feeling away and wondering why he had agreed to wright her when he didn't even know her, Harry walked the rest of the way to Sirius, who was smiling at him.

"You'll have to go on your own from here Harry. Remus and I have to sit up I the front with the other teachers. Just remember something; don't be shy and make sure you make friends, whether they be future Slytherins, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, or Hufflepuffs. Just... be yourself."

Harry nodded at his words and Sirius smiled again before disappearing into the front compartment. Harry then made his way to the end of the train, not wanting to bring unwanted attention to himself, and opened one of the side doors. Stepping into the crowded hallway of the train Harry quickly darted into the nearest empty compartment, slamming the door shut behind him as soon as Stephano made it in.

Sighing as the sudden silence replaced the loud voices and engines he opened his cloak to release Rowan and Kestrel. Rowan immediately claimed the window seal as her own, curling up into a furry ball and casting her wide violet eyes to the window to gaze in amazement at the many people out side. Kestrel gave a soft chirp before flying up and perching on one of the luggage racks overhead. Ebony gave a small hiss as he peaked out of Harry's cloak. Seeing the coast was clear he unwound himself form Harry's waist and stretched before curling up on the seat next to Harry, immediately falling asleep. As Stephano plopped himself with his back against the wall under the window and laid down. Harry smiled at his familiars' antics before pulling out the book that was in his pocket and opening it to the marked page. A few minutes later Remus arrived and gave Harry his trunk and owl before saying that Harry should relax and leaving.

The train then began to move. A few minutes later in the journey the door opened again. Harry, thinking that it was Remus or Sirius, looked up to greet them. But stopped when he saw who was there.

A young boy stood in the doorway, fidgeting with the handle of a trunk. The boy was small and thin with a mop of messy red hair and wide blue eyes. He reminded Harry of Ginny, the girl he had met earlier. Must he a relative of hers, he bet.

The boy gazed from Rowan and Kestrel, who had looked up when he had entered, to Ebony and Stephano, who were pointedly ignoring him. Harry smiled as the boys' eyes widened..

"Yes?" Harry asked politely to the frightened boy as Rowan turned back to the window.

"Um...I... I was wondering if I could... if I could..."

"Sure." Harry said indicating to the seat opposite of him. At the look the boy gave his familiars he chuckled. "Don't mind them, they don't bite."

At those words the boy hesitantly walked over and sat opposite of Harry wide eyed as Stephano moved to make room for him. Kestrel then began singing a beautiful song, causing the boy to slowly relax. He then looked over at Rowan, who was intertaining herself by watching the trees go by.

"That's a Sable, isn't it?" he asked boldly. Harry looked at him from over his book, ignoring the triumphant look Rowan sent him.

"Yes, unfortunately she is." Harry said as he took his elbow and shoved a smug Rowan off of the ledge. The Sable landed on her feet and with a 'hmpf' jumped up into the surprised boy's lap, curling up into a ball and glaring at Harry. Harry smirked at her and looked back down at his book. Stephano, obviously giving up on sleeping, raised his head and gazed back and forth between the infuriated feline and their smirking owner.

Harry looked up after a few minutes to take in the glaring feline. The boy she was sitting on looked confused and uncomfortable, apparently not knowing what to make of the young Sable. Harry took pity on him.

"You can pet her, you know. She especially likes it behind the ears."

The boy look startled at the sound of Harry's voice, but hesitantly reached up and stroked Rowan's fur. Rowan immediately gave up glaring in turn of purring, which calmed the boy down. He then immediately became engrossed in petting her. Harry knew why; a Sable's fur was one of the softest things in the world.

"I'm Harry Halisio by the way. This is Ebony, Kestrel, Hedwig and Stephano and that furry ball of terror is Rowan."

The boy looked up from Rowan and shook Harry's offered hand. "I'm Ron Weasely. It's nice to meet you." He said before looking back down at Rowan. "You have some strange familiars."

"They have their moments."

"I'd bet." he said as he tickled Rowan behind the ear. He then glanced over at Ebony and up at Kestrel. "I don't get it though; aren't Phoenixes and Snakes supposed to be enemies?"

Harry looked up. "I suppose. But even though they're born to be enemies, doesn't mean they have to choose that path. You see, they could choose to be the fiercest of enemies; or the fiercest of friends. It's entirely they're choice. Just because they're opposite, doesn't mean they don't complete each other."

Ron nodded and looked back down at Rowan. Suddenly the compartment door was slid open and a figure quickly jumped in, slamming the door shut behind him and pressing his hands against it as if trying to keep something out.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the breathless boy in their compartment. The boy was wearing a set of silky black robes and had platinum blond hair and silver eyes. His pale skin was flushed from running and he looked exhausted, as if he had run the length of the whole train. Which he probably had.

Harry noticed that Ron had stiffened at the sight of the boy, who had apparently realized that he was not alone in the compartment. He turned toward them and opened his mouth before finally noticing Harry's unique familiars. He raised an eyebrow at the site of Rowan and Stephano and then widened his eyes when he saw Ebony and Kestrel. Quickly getting over his shock (probably a Pureblood thing) and straightened.

"I'm Draco Malfoy." He proclaimed as he leaned against the door. Harry nodded to him.

"I'm Harry Halisio and this is Ron Weasely." Harry said. Draco raised his eyebrow again.

"Weasely huh?"

"Yeah, you want to make something of it?" Ron snapped. Then looked shocked when Draco raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

"No need to get defensive. I was just making a statement." Draco replied. He dropped his hands and looked toward the door.

"Care to share with us the reason that you were running?" Harry asked.

Draco gave him a look before relenting. "Parkinson, she won't leave me alone. Something about a marriage contract between our parents." At that Ron snorted and gave Draco a sympathetic look.

"Boy, do I feel bad for you." he stated and sat back, still stroking Rowan's fur. Draco scowled before shrugging it off and sitting down on the seat a little ways from Ebony. Ebony raised an eyelid at the disturbance but otherwise ignored them.

"So what's your story for being in an almost empty compartment?" Draco asked. Harry shrugged.

"Well, for one I couldn't exactly be in a crowded compartment with these four." he said indicating to his four free familiars. "And for another I wasn't raised in the Wizarding world, so I don't really know anyone."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Muggleborn?"

"No, just clueless. Both of my parents were wizards."

"Ah." Draco said before turning toward Ron "And you?"

"I didn't feel like sitting with my brothers. Knowing them they'd make my life miserable until the end of the train ride. And since I don't really have any friends I was really glad when Harry invited me in." Ron blurted out before flushing. Draco raised an eyebrow but before he could open his mouth to reply the compartment door slide open for a third time and a bushy haired girl entered. She looked around the compartment, ignoring its eight inhabitants, before sighing.

"Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one."

"No, I don't recall seeing a toad." Harry answered politely. The girl nodded before she finally focused on the four unusual occupants in the compartment.

"Oh, magical creatures! But weren't you only supposed to bring a toad, cat, or owl?"

"Well, yeah, but if you recall the letter said that you_ had_ to bring a toad, cat, or owl. It didn't say anything about not bringing anything else."

"Oh, I see, it's a loop hole in the rules. Though personally I wouldn't try anything like that. You might get in trouble. I'm Hermione Granger by the way."

"Harry Halisio."

"Ron Weasely."

"Draco Malfoy." Draco added reluctantly.

"Pleasure." she said. "You three need to get into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon." With that she spun on her heel and left the compartment, door sliding shut behind her. The two humans and one Lestran in the compartment exchanged glances.

"Okay." Ron said slowly. "Can someone say scary?"

"She is right though." Draco said grudgingly. "We are going to arrive soon. I'll see you guys later; I have to go change out." he added with a grimace before waving at them and exiting. Ron and Harry looked at each other before shrugging simultaneously and getting up, Ron placing Rowan gently on his seat. While getting into their robes they felt the train begin to slow.

"So, what House do you want to go into?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter to me; they're all the same when it comes down to it."

Ron gave him a curious look. "Personally, I want to go into Gryffindor; there is no way I want to go into Slytherin."

Harry paused. "How come?"

Ron looked shocked. "Don't you know? That's where all the dark wizards are from."

"That's not true. One of the vilest Dark Lords, Pernical, came from Ravenclaw. And dark wizards in general come from all the Houses. When it comes down to it, it's not your house that matters, it's who you are. And did it even occur to you that it's because the wizarding world's view on Slytherin that makes some of it's inhabitants Dark?"

It was Ron's turn to pause. "I never though of it like that." he admitted in wonder.

"Most people don't."

Just then the train came to a halt. Harry and Ron grabbed their trunks, packing everything they had out away. Ebony slithered back around Harry's waist while Stephano stood and stretched, Kestrel chirped and flew down to land on Harry's shoulder, and Rowan settled on Ron's arm. Dragging their trunks out of the compartment and into the crowded hall, Stephano at their heels, they walked off the train and onto a platform in a small village. It was night Harry could tell, even though they were surrounded in a dome of light.

"First years over here! First years, don't be shy!" a booming voice sounded through out

the platform. Harry and Ron exchanged looks before walking toward the voice through the crowd. Harry noticed that the older students were walking to a small path that lead to carriages being pulled by strange winged horses. Harry shrugged off the uncomfortable feeling he got by looking at the horses and followed Ron toward a huge man with long black hair, a beard, and twinkling black eyes. Just as they got to him Draco joined them, shrugging off a girl with stringy black hair and brown eyes.

"Why aren't we taking the carriages?" Harry asked Ron and Draco quietly. Draco shrugged.

"Apparently, first years have to take a different, longer way to get to the castle while the older years get settled in for the feast and sorting. Well, that's what my father told me anyway."

"Well, it would make sense." Harry stated while Ron nodded. "Draco-"

"And then I shot a burst of power at him and BAM! He was gone." a loud voice cut Harry off. Harry closed his eyes and sighed before turning.

Chase Potter was in the middle of a ring of wide-eyed specters as he demonstrated his story using over-exaggerated moves and sways. Harry rolled his eyes at his brothers antics.

"Honestly, Chase. You were what, four? There is no way you could really remember what happened." Harry pointed out. Chase turned toward his voice and scowled when he saw him.

"Oh, it's you. Where's your pointed-eared little friend?"

"Not here apparently."

"Well, I can see that." Chase snapped. "Now go away; I'm talking."

"More like exaggerating."

Chase shot Harry another scowl before he pointedly turned his back on him and continued his story on how he was able to revive his mom and dad after they had been hit with the killing curse. Harry shook his head.

"Was that the Boy-Who-Lived?" Ron asked in confusion. Harry snorted.

"Unfortunately."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "And you know him?"

"Unfortunately."

"He's a bit full of himself, isn't he?" Ron asked bluntly.

"Caught on to that have you."

"Too bad the others can't." Draco said indicating to the entranced ring.

"Yeah."

"If you ask me it's a crock of bull." a feminine voice said from beside them. They turned to see Hermione Granger standing there with a shy looking boy, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at the ring. "Everyone knows that you can't bring someone back from the killing curse. Kind of makes you wonder what else he's lying about."

Harry, Ron, and Draco exchanged surprised glances before looking back as Hermione, who had apparently realized she had spoken aloud, flushed.

"Well, it does make you wonder." she said defensively. Then gestured toward the boy next to her. "This is Neville Longbottom, the boy who lost his toad."

Harry and the other's murmured their greetings as the giant man, who they learned was Rubius Hagrid, shooed them into some boats at the edge of a huge lake. Harry waited until all the other students were in the boats before taking the one at the end with Ron, Draco, Hermione, Stephano, and Neville. As soon as they were all situated the boats launched out onto the lake.

As they drifted away from the shore a edgy feeling surrounded Harry. He stiffened and shifted awkwardly, causing Ebony to hiss in concern and his other familiars to look at him in worry. Suddenly there was a sharp hiss and Harry got hit with a face full of fur, causing Kestrel to trill in annoyance at almost getting dislodged from his shoulder. Rowan ignored them as she scurried underneath Harry's cloak, which were over his robes, and attacked herself to his robed chest, much to Ebony's annoyance

"Rowan, what's wrong?" Harry asked as he tried to detach the frightened feline. The other human occupants of the boat looked at him in confusion.

Rowan finally retracted her claws from his chest and allowed him to drag her out of her hiding place. When she was finally out she looked at him with wide violet eyes.

"A hand... out of the water. A hand reached out of the water and tried to grab me! It was white, and slimy looking with black claws and everything! Don't let it get me, please don't let it get me!"

"A hand? Honestly, Rowan, you're going to have to be more creative then that." Stephano said bluntly. Rowan sent him a furious look.

"I'm not kidding! I'm serious, a hand reached toward me! If you don't believe me then jump in the lake yourself!"

Harry glanced at the still black water and shivered. Some how, he believed Rowan.

Stephano, mean while, scoffed, stood up, and strode over to the edge of the boat, looking over the side.

"Harry, can you understand them?" Ron asked suddenly. Harry looked up and sighed. Might as well tell them the truth; they'd probably find out anyway.

"Yeah actually, though I can't understand Kestrel, she usually just sends me pictures if she wants to communicate something. Rowan, Stephano, and Ebony on the other hand I can speak with directly."

"That's amazing." Hermione breathed as she watched Rowan and Stephano. Then she looked back at Harry. "What set Rowan off?"

"Apparently she saw a hand come out of the water and try to grab her."

At that Hermione raised an eyebrow. "That's not surprising, many creatures live in the Great Lake." A splashing sound resounded after those words as Neville yanked his hand, which he had been trailing in the water, out and put it into his lap.

"What kind of creatures-" Ron started before a sharp yelp sounded as Stephano jerked back and fell on his back in the middle of the boat. He was immediately on his feet and growling toward the edge of the boat.

"What did you see?" Harry asked. The canine emitted a louder growl.

"A face." He rumbled glaring at the edge. "A pale white face with empty eye sockets and green sea weed floating around it-"

"Okay!" Rowan yelped and hid back under Harry's cloak. "I don't need to know what the hand was attached to!"

Ron glanced between Harry, Rowan, and the growling Stephano. "I take it he saw something."

"Yeah, a face of a dead person apparently." Harry said. Suddenly a splashing sound could be heard a little ways away from them and they all turned to see something white and slimy, with the upper body of a person and the lower body of a octopus, jump out of the water and look at them with empty holes for eyes before it dropped back under the black murky surface.

Next thing Harry knew they were all huddled in the middle of the boat facing the edges.

"You know, that was not really the first thing I wanted or expected to see on my first night at Hogwarts. I'm going to have nightmares for a week." Draco said staring at the spot where the creature had disappeared. The others nodded in agreement.

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When they had finally reached Hogwart's shore Harry and the others practically jumped from the boat and bolted, as far as they could get without looking out of place, away from the lake.

Following the other first years into the castle in relief, they settled at the back of the group as Hagrid greeted a stern looking woman. She turned toward them with a frown on her face. She then started talking about Houses, points, and families. When she was finished she turned on her heel, told them to wait, and walked through two huge double doors.

"I heard we have to fight a troll to decide our houses." Chase declared to the group. Harry rolled his eyes and felt the other four beside him have similar reactions.

"Really? I thought it was a Dementor." Harry added sarcastically. His new found four friends grinned.

"No one asked you." Chase snapped just as the stern professor came back through the door.

"We're ready for you." she said and lead them through the doors.

In side was a great room with four giant long tables spread out through it and an 'enchanted ceiling' as Hermione quietly pointed out to them. The stern woman led them between the two middle tables to the other side of the room where a huge table lined the wall and stood, seats and all, several feet above the other tables. Harry recognized it as the Head Table due to the teachers sitting behind it.

The first years were led up to a platform in front of the Head Table where a stool with a torn old hat sat. They stood in front of the platform and waited.

Harry, bored, looked around and realized that each of the tables were different colors such as Gryffindor being red and gold and Sytherin being green and silver. He shook his head at their obvious House rivalries and looked up at the Head Table. Relaxing, he let his senses out.

The old man in the middle of the table had white hair and beard and twinkling blue eyes. This was who Harry guessed was the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Feeling the immense power the man held Harry made a mental note to stay away from him; he could tell that the old man was a powerful manipulator and very good at what he did. That and the degree of magic that surrounded the man was so strong Harry almost staggered backwards. Hmm, the man must have magical creature blood in him.

Moving his senses away from the old man before he noticed, Harry focused on the dark aura that surrounded one of the professors. The man was thin, had shoulder length black hair matted in what Harry identified as potion fumes, and shiny black eyes. Extending his senses Harry identified the dark aura; the man was a Vampire, though not a pure blooded one from what he could tell. Probably had vampire blood in him that he had inherited and didn't even know about it.

Glancing away from the vampire and the shaking man beside him Harry saw Remus and Sirius talking quietly with each other. They saw him looking at them and gave small waves, which he automatically returned. Then he noticed his parents.

They were sitting side be side talking ecstatically with each other. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Chase wave and them return it. Sighing he turned back to the stern woman, apparently Professor McGonagall from what he gathered from the other students, who had picked up a hat and a list.

"Now when I call your name you will put the hat on and be sorted into your houses."

"So much for the troll." Ron whispered as the other three chuckled and Hermione sent him a disapproving look.

"Hannah Abbott." at the name a scared looking girl walked up onto the platform and sat on the stool. The teacher lowered the hat onto her head and Harry watched with interest as the girl seemed to be having some kind of mental conversation with it. After a few minutes the hat yelled "HUFFLEPUFF!" and the girl jumped off of the stool and joined the yellow and black clothed house. Professor McGonagall looked back down at the list.

"Hermione Granger."

Hermione looked at them in panic as she walked up on to the platform. They gave her reassuring smiles as she sat down on the stool and the hat was placed on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted. Hermione jumped down from the stool and waved to them as she walked to the Ravenclaw table. Harry smiled and waved back, clapping loudly with the others.

"Draco Malfoy."

Draco looked at them as he walked up and sat on the stool. Though before the hat touched his head it yelled "SLYTHERIN!" and Draco smiled, waved at them, and joined his table.

"Ronald Weasely."

Harry mouthed 'Good luck' to his first friend as he walked over and sat down. After a moment it yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" and sent a smiling Ron to his new table. Harry saw Hermione and surprisingly Draco clapping hard. Turning he grinned encouragingly at Neville, who looked green, and clapped him on the back.

"No matter what house you go to we're all still going to be friends." Harry reassured him. Neville nodded though still looked green.

"Neville Longbottom."

Giving Neville one last pat Harry gently pushed the frightened boy toward the stool. Neville made it there, surprisingly not stumbling once, and sat down.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted after it was placed on his head. Neville gulped and headed toward that table, Harry's, Ron's, Hermione's, and Draco's loud clapping encouraging him.

"Harry Halisio."

Harry looked up at his name and walked over to the stool, sitting on it as the hat was placed on his head. When nothing happened he tilted his head.

"Can you please lower your shields." the hat's voice said, sounding across the hall and making a few people jump. Harry mentally flushed and lowered them, ignoring the curious and shocked looks every one was giving him.

_"Ah, that's better. I must say, that has never happened before and was quite a surprise when I slammed into a mental barrier. A very good one at that, you could probably give the Headmaster a run for his money."_

Harry mentally snorted. _"I wasn't exactly expecting for you to actually enter my mind. Sorry."_

_"It is quite all right. Now, let's see what we have here. You're brave, yes, but not foolish because of your upbringing. Hum, curious. You've had a difficult life, I see, and... Oh? What is this? Well, I must say Mr. Halisio, or should I say Mr. Potter, the wizarding world is going to be surprised when they find out the truth about that night."_

_"Yes, but please don't tell them as of yet; I don't believe they are ready."_

_"Hum, you maybe right about that. Okay, anyways you have plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind either; there's talent and a lot of it. And the urge, though buried, to prove yourself. You're extremely loyal to those you call friends and family, and extremely intelligent since you had to learn all you could to survive in the world you are from. You're cunning and ambitious yet not self- absorbed enough to run from a fight to save yourself. I must say, Mr. Potter, you are my hardest student to place yet! And the fact that you are not biased against any of the houses doesn't help either." _

_"Just put me into which ever house you feel I will learn the most in and be the happiest in." _Harry said. The hat gave a mental nod.

_"Well in that case it better be... _"SLYTHERIN!" the hat said switching to talking aloud for the last part. Harry gave a slight smile and went over to sit with Draco while waving at Ron, Hermione, and Neville. Hand-fiving Draco he sat down next to his House mate and looked back over at McGonagall as the clapping died down.

"Chase Potter."

Whispers immediately broke out as Chase sauntered over to the stool. After sitting for a few moments he seemed to be arguing with the hat. A glance at the Head Table showed Dumbledore leaning forward. Rolling his eyes at the Headmaster's obvious interest in his 'Golden Boy' Harry picked up his glass and, after automatically checking it for poisons and potions, placed it to his lips to take a drink.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

A stream of water shot back into his cup as he spat it out, choking on the little water that had went down the wrong hole when he had gasped. Seeing Harry coughing Draco slapped him on the back to help him as Harry breathed in a lung full of air. Looking around Harry could tell that he hadn't been the only one to choke; over half the school looked shocked.

Dumbledore and the Potter's looked furious, as did Chase, who yanked the hat off and walked out of the Great Hall. After McGonagall managed to calm the rest of the hall down the sorting continued on, ending with Susan Bones going into Hufflepuff. After the Feast had began Draco burst out laughing.

"Can you believe that? Our worlds supposed 'savior' going into Hufflepuff! Boy, I can't wait to tell my father about this!"

Harry shook his head at his friend and went back to his meal (which he had checked for poison and potions of course). After the feast was over Dumbledore stood up and announced that the Forbidden Forest and the Third Corridor were forbidden to all students who did not want to die a most painful death. Harry shook his head at that.

"And one last thing for tonight! Shae, dellow, betal, shalke! Have a good night!" The Headmaster said making some of the students look at him in confusion.

Draco shook his head. "That man really is crazy." He stated.

_"Yeah,"_ Harry thought. _"Crazy yet powerful. Why does that seem to be the combination these days?"_

"So, you're in Sytherin?" A soft voice asked and Harry and Draco turned to see Ron.

"Phoenixes and Stakes, Ron." Harry said softly. "Phoenixes and Snakes." Ron slowly nodded as Harry and Draco left the Great Hall, leaving him behind to choose.

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I couldn't resist. Really, I couldn't. And no, Draco isn't a asshole in this story. Sorry. I'm doing something weird; Draco and Ron are going to be friends! How strange. Anyway, R&R, please and thank you! (Also, I've decided to make medium sized chapters and post them when even I can. Thanks for your reviews!)


	9. Dangerous?

Okay, I want to let you guys know that I skipped the part with the moving stair cases and stuff like that and went straight to their first day of school.

And I wanted to say thank you to;

Female Marauder

jayley  
KikiLala  
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BlackRosex  
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Fitz of Amber

blaziken02

Isolde Eris  
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Fox Loves Shinigami  
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You guys were some of my original reviewers and have stuck with me. Thanks again.

Onto the chapter

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Shifting, Harry stretched and turned on his side away from the warm morning rays. Yawning, he cracked his eyes open, curious about what had woken him, and was met with floating bright violet orbs right in front of him. Jerking backwards out of reflex he gave a yelp as he tumbled out of the small bed and onto the hard stone floor, Stephano, who had apparently been sleeping at the edge of the bed, landed next to him with an undignified 'humph'.

Sitting up and rubbing the back of his head where he had hit it he glared at a giggling Rowan, who was rolling around on the bed on her back in her laughing fit. Beside him he heard Stephano give a growl before the canine promptly jumped back on the edge of the bed and curled up, ignoring all of them.

Sighing Harry stood up and stretched. Casting one last glare at his feline companion for the rude awakening he grabbed his clothes and robes that he was going to where for that day and left for the showers.

10 minutes later he walked into the room rubbing his hair dry with a silver towel. A glance over at the bed showed Stephano out cold, Rowan watching him with amused eyes, Ebony still curled next to his pillow (apparently he hadn't been disturbed by the commotion), and Kestrel perched on his head board nibbling on one of the treats he had left out for her. Harry looked around the dormitory and found that the other students were still asleep. A glimpse of the clock on the wall explained this; it was only 5:30. Sighing once more, and deciding that it wasn't worth it to try and go back to sleep, he gestured to his two awake companions and strolled out of the door.

The Slytherin Dormitory was just as silent as the rooms as Harry, Rowan, and Kestrel slipped out of the portrait and into the main hall. Looking at his two familiars he shrugged and led the way to the Great Hall. They might as well have breakfast. Kestrel trilled and landed on his shoulder while Rowan jumped into his arms, deciding she preferred to be carried to walking.

When Harry walked into the Great Hall, he saw that there was very few early risers, though all of the teachers were up and sitting at the Head Table, talking amongst themselves. Looking around Harry saw a familiar head of light brown hair at the Hufflepuff table and made his way over to it.

"Morning, Neville." Harry said as he took a seat beside his shy friend and serving himself a plate, Rowan jumping up onto the table and making herself at home. Neville looked surprised to see them but managed to stammer a reply.

"M-morning, Harry."

Harry cast him an amused glance. "So what are you doing up so early?"

Neville seemed to gain some confidence from the question. "Well, I couldn't really sleep last night because of one of the boys in my dormitory. I swear, his snores sounded more like a stampede then a sound. What's your story?"

Harry snickered then answered his last question. "Let's just say I had a rude awakening." he said glaring pointedly at his feline companion, who was innocently eating a piece of sausage off his plate. Shaking his head he snatched the last piece off the plate before she could get it and fed it to Kestrel.

"Harry, won't you get in trouble for sitting with me?" Neville asked suddenly. Harry shrugged.

"Probably not, because that's pretty much evoking House rivalry."

Neville nodded and looked down. "I guess you were really serious then."

Harry tilted his head and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Neville swallowed.

"You know, about when you said we would be friends no matter what House we were in"

"Of course I was serious; I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't."

Neville nodded and grinned. But before he could say anything a snide voice cut him off.

"Well, looky here, a snake hanging with a puff. Your mother must be so proud."

Harry rolled his eyes and looked toward the double doors, where Chase Potter and his Lackeys were standing. Harry looked at their robes and noticed the Gryffindor crest on them.

"You're one to talk. Personally, I think yellow and black would suit your complection perfectly."

Chase reddened. "I'm in Gryffindor for your information."

"Ah, but you'll always be a Hufflepuff by heart."

Chase pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry. "You take that back."

Harry calmly took a sip of his pumpkin juice and glanced at the Head table. By now they had attracted the attention of the staff and students there. Slipping his hand under the table and out of view of every one he made a sweeping gesture with it, murmuring the Elven Shield Charm in his head.

"Don't even try it, Potter." he said calmly. "You don't want to end up in the Hospital Wing this early in the year."

"Is that a threat." Chase said dramatically. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes again.

"No. It's a promise."

"STUPLEFY!" Chase yelled and Harry actually did roll his eyes. Honestly, though, how obvious could you get? Needless to say if Chase had been dueling one of Harry's trainers back at Alenious he would have been knocked out in the first 3 seconds.

But Chase did seem to have a pretty good aim, for the spell did fly directly at Harry; only to bounce off his shield and speed back to hit its' caster, promptly freezing Chase and knocking him into one of his lackeys. Harry shook his head at Chase's inability to dodge and returned to his breakfast, ignoring everyone else.

"How did you do that?" Neville whispered to him. Harry gave him a confused look.

"Do what?"

"You know, shoot the spell back at him."

"I didn't, I merely cast the Shield Charm." Harry said pulling out his wand and waving it in front of Neville.

"Huh, I didn't hear you."

"Don't feel bad, I couldn't hear me either. You see, I cast it the same time Potter cast his Stunning Charm."

"Oh." Neville said nodding. Harry was relieved that Neville bought his story.

"What is going on here?" a stern voice asked and Harry looked up to see McGonagall, Dumbledore, both Potters, Snape (he had found out the guy's name from an older student), Remus, and Sirius standing there.

"Nothing Professor." Harry said innocently. Beside him he heard Rowan snort and Kestrel give a soft trill.

"Nothing indeed. You attacked a student!" James Potter cried accusingly. Harry gave him an annoyed look.

"As I recall _professor_ it was the student who attacked me. And as stated in the Hogwart's Rules a student is allowed to defend themselves if they are attacked by another student _or_ teacher."

James glowered for a second before his eyes landed on Rowan, who was busy ignoring them in favor of eating. "Ah Ha! You have a Dark creature here! Penalty for that is suspension!" He said triumphantly. Only to loose his grin when Harry looked at him with amusement.

"You're correct. That would be punishable by suspension. But she's not as of now categorized as a Dark creature."

"What are you talking about? It's a Sable!"

"Yes, she is a Sable. But Law 341 of the Department of Magical Creatures clearly states that only _adult, wild _Sables are categorized as Dark. Young Sables fall under the category of Silver Creatures as they are not yet dangerous enough to be considered Dark. And young, _tamed_ Sables fall under the Light Silver Creatures category as they were born and grew up around humans and therefore probably won't harm them unless in self defense."

James looked speechless as Harry continued.

"As you can see Rowan is young, only five years old and won't be an adult for another 8 more years, and she is tamed, for she doesn't appear to be threatened by your presence.

"Also, as I recall Phoenixes can't even be considered Dark, Grims are only a threat when properly proven to be one, and magical snakes are to be always given the 'benefit of the doubt' unless they _kill_ someone. And as the Hogwart's rules state a student has to bring a cat, toad, or owl, but may bring other familiars as long as their familiars do not attack a student or teacher with out just cause."

By now James's mouth was open, Lily and McGonagall looked furious while Sirius and Remus looked relieved, and Dumbledore and Snape looked thoughtful. Harry turned away from them and reached in his pocket, pulling out two treats and throwing one into the air, watching in amusement as Rowan flew up to catch it. Feeding the other to Kestrel, who ate it with a more dignified air making Rowan pout, Harry turned toward Neville.

"So what classes are you taking?"

Neville looked surprised at Harry's obvious ignorance of the teachers but answered anyway. "I'm not sure, but I was looking more at Herbology."

"Herbology?"

"I think it has something to do with plants." Rowan sigh as she pawed at his fork. "You know 'Herb-ology'."

Harry silently reached over and ruffled Rowan's fur, causing her to give an undignified huff as she tried to lick it flat. He chuckled at his familiar.

"What did she say?" Neville asked before slapping his hand over his mouth. But the damage had been done; the teachers looked up sharply.

"Mr. Halisio, you can understand her?" Dumbldore asked curiously. Harry gave him a guarded look.

"Yes." he said slowly.

"Oh? And what is she saying now?" James said snidely. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Obviously nothing." he said indicating to the still licking feline.

"Then ask her a question."

"She can understand you, you know."

James flushed and looked at Rowan. "Fly up to the ceiling." Rowan looked up at him with an annoyed look.

"Just because she understands you doesn't necessarily mean she'll listen to you."

At that Rowan jumped up on Harry's arm and looked pointedly at him. "I see no way in which you are related to this man." she said flatly.

"I agree." Harry said. "That's because in all ways besides blood I am not." The teachers looked confused but this remark but Harry didn't elaborate.

Seeing that they weren't getting anywhere with Harry Lily huffed and went to check on her son, who was being fawned over by his 'friends'. Lily quickly cast an 'enervate' and helped Chase to his feet.

"He cursed me!" Chase accused loudly. Rowan and Harry exchanged glances.

"They should have left the spell on." Rowan proclaimed.

"I agree." Harry said nodding.

"Agree to what Mr. Halisio?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Leaving the spell on him; Rowan has a crude sense of humor."

"I do not!"

"Do too; want a few examples?"

"Anyway." Sirius cut in. "Seeing that there is not a problem then perhaps we should let the students eat?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Dumbledore said waving a hand in dismissal. Then giving Harry one last glance he turned and walked back to the Head Table the other teachers besides Remus and Lily (who was still busy with Chase) following him. Remus waited until they were out of ear shot to kneel down next to Harry.

"You okay pup?"

"Yeah." Harry said offering Remus a smile. Remus returned it before turning and heading back to the Head Table.

Just as Harry returned back to his meal Rowan launched herself off his arm and toward the double doors. Lily, Chase, and his lackey's looked panicked as Rowan headed toward them until she flew over them and landed on an out stretched arm.

Ron brought his arm in and stroked Rowan's fur as she purred in greeting and delight. Looking up he caught Harry's eye and walked around the two Potters and their 'followers' to where Harry and Neville sat.

As Ron came to stand beside them he was silent for a few seconds.

"Phoenixes and Snakes." Ron said softly before looking up. "I think we'll have to learn from Ebony and Kestrel, don't you?"

Harry smiled at those words and offered him his hand, which Ron shook. "Most definitely."

Ron smiled and sat down beside him, loading his plate and eating as he fed Rowan some bacon. A half an hour Hermione, then Draco, came in and joined them, though Draco did so reluctantly.

"Why are we sitting at the Hufflepuff table?" Draco asked looking around at the filling dining room. Harry rolled his eyes.

"We'll sit at the Slytherin table tomorrow if it makes you feel better."

"Are we allowed to do this?" Hermione asked looking at the teachers, who had been shooting the odd group curious glances.

"Yes, because if we were not allowed to it would be provoking House rivalries." Neville said quoting Harry, then blushed at Harry's amused and the others surprised looks. Hermione then went into 'thinking mode'.

"That would make sense." she finally admitted. Draco snickered and she wacked him lightly over the head.

"They're probably surprised because usually the Houses keep to themselves." Harry said leaning back. He looked up at a small scream someone issued to see Stephano and Ebony heading toward them. Moving a little to the side to clear a space between him and Ron, Harry leaned down and placed his hand on the floor, allowing Ebony to slither up onto his arm and Stephano to jump onto the space beside him.

"Quite the entrance you two." he said as Dumbledore stood up and headed toward them for a second time.

"Well, we figured that since you weren't in bed you had to be here." Stephano said as he ate the bacon Ron offered him.

_~Did we do something improper?~ _Ebony added as he watched Dumbledore approach them. Harry shook his head as Dumbledore reached them.

_~No, but I think that Dumbledore is worried about your size and his students.~ _Harry hissed making his friends look at him in surprise and Dumbledore raise an eyebrow.

"You speak Parseltongue Mr. Halisio?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course, that's how I communicate with Ebony."

"Harry, that's a Dark language!" Hermione whispered.

"A Dark language? There's no such thing. It's like saying Runes are Dark because they can be used in rituals and Latin is Dark because it's used in some not-so-nice spells. Just because it can be used for evil doesn't mean the thing its self is evil. Parseltonge is just a language used to communicate with snakes, just as there are several languages used to communicate with other creatures."

Dumbledore nodded at those words but still looked concerned. "That's an awfully big snake Mr. Halisio. Do you think it safe for it to be wondering the school?"

"Oh, don't worry Headmaster, I have a magical contract with Ebony that states that he's not allowed to attack anyone unless in self-defense. And you know how binding a magical contract is."

Dumbledore looked relieved at these words and nodded before striding away, though not before giving Harry a calculating look. Harry turned back toward his friends.

"Magical Contract?" Hermione asked with interest.

"It's a very powerful contract made between two beings. If the being the contract retains to breaks it they are pretty much forfeiting their lives. That's why Dumbledore is allowing Ebony to stay; he knows that Ebony won't hurt someone if his own life is at risk."

"Hum." was all Hermione said as they finished.

As they left the Great Hall together McGonagall stopped them to give them their schedules. Accepting, they looked them over as they neared the staircase.

Harry looked down at his own schedule

_**Harry Kainyan Halisio**_

_**Monday, Wednesday**__**-**_

_**Defense Against the Dark Arts– Professor Quirell-- Slytherin/ Griffindor– 8-10:25**_

_**Transfiguration– Professor McGonagall– Slytherin/ Hufflepuff– 10:30- 12:55**_

_**Lunch- 1-2**_

_**History of Magic– Professor Binns– Slytherin/ Ravenclaw– 2- 4:25**_

_**Tuesday, Thursday**_

_**Charms– Professor Flitwick- Slytherin/ Gryffindor– 8- 10:25**_

_**Herbology– Professor Sprout– Slytherin/ Hufflepuff– 10:30- 12:55**_

_**Lunch- 1-2**_

_**Care of Magical Creatures– Professor Grubbly-Plank– Slytheerin/Ravenclaw– 2- 4:25 **_

_**Friday**_

_**Double Potions– Professor Snape– All Houses– 8- 12:55**_

_**Lunch- 1-2**_

_**Flying– Madam Hooch- All Houses– 2- 3:30**_

_**Dueling– Professor Potter– All Houses– 3:35- 5**_

Sighing at the last one Harry lowered the paper and looked at the others.

"Well, it looks like we have classes now and it wouldn't do to be late on the first day." Harry said.

"Okay, so we're off to Defense. Good luck in Transfiguration you two!" Ron said as he Harry, and Draco waved at Neville and Hermione and headed to the Defense room.

When they got there Harry had to resist the urge to groan at the sight that met them.

"So, Weasely, hanging out with Slytherin scum now are you?" Chase proclaimed. Ron rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward but Harry grabbed his arm.

"Don't Ron, he's not _worth _it." Harry said pulling Ron back.

"And here I thought all Weasely's were smart. Huh, guess I was wrong."

"I think that the Stuplefy went to his head." Draco said causally while crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Harry and Neville had told him, Ron, and Hermione what had happened.

Chase reddened. "Go slither back to your dungeon, snake."

Draco's response was cut off by a string of sharp hissing. Harry glanced down and resisted the urge to cringe at the sight of his serpent familiar coiled in a threatening position and glaring at Chase, who had fearfully took a step back. Harry couldn't blame him; a pissed Ebony was a scary Ebony. Yet he also couldn't blame Ebony; Chase had offended his honor with that statement.

_~You stupid human. If I was allowed to bite you, I'd make sure it took you days to recover.~ _Ebony hissed. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Ron give him a sharp look.

"Days to recover?" Ron asked in confusion. Harry's head snapped up.

"You understood him?" Harry asked surprised.

"Yeah, he said Chase was a stupid human and that if he was allowed to bite him he'd make sure it took Chase days to recover." Ron said in confusion. Harry gave him a startled look before he noticed something; he was still gripping Ron's arm. Releasing it he looked back at Ebony.

_~Say something~_ He hissed to Ebony, making everyone around him beside's Ron and Draco cringe. Ebony looked up at him in confusion before uncoiling and stretching.

_~Something.~_

_~Smart Alec.~ _Harry said before looking up. "Did you hear that?" Ron looked confused and shook his head.

"No, that time I only heard hissing." He admitted. Harry grabbed his arm and nodded to Ebony again.

_~Something~_ Ebony repeated in annoyance. Ron blinked.

"Something?"

"Yeah, I told him to say something and he took me literally." Harry said. Every one was looking at him in confusion but Draco, who pushed off of the wall.

"You understand them?" he asked Ron.

"Only when he's touching me it seems." Harry said putting a hand on Draco's shoulder. "But I wonder... Rowan, talk to me."

Rowan, who had been flying in circles near the ceiling to entertain herself, stopped and gazed at them from an up-side-down position. "Talk to you about what?"

Draco gasped. "She speaks!"

"Of course I speak. What do you think Harry was answering to, thin air?"

"No, I just didn't think you spoke clear english."

"Oh." Rowan said flipping right-side-up. "Well, I do."

Harry couldn't help but smile and looked toward his curled up canine companion. "Stephano?"

"Go away, I'm sleeping." Stephano said rolling away from them. Ron grinned.

"This is really neat."

"Try listening to them 24-7."

"Hey!" Rowan said flying down and stopping inches from Harry's face, wings flaring. "I resent that!"

"Oh, hush up furball." Harry said plucking the disgruntled feline out of the air as Ron and Draco snickered.

"So you really can understand them." a dark skinned, black haired Gryffindor asked. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, though they can be a pain." at that Stephano snorted rather loudly making many of the Gryffindors jump. The students, realizing that the familiars could understand them as well, went quiet.

"Oh wow, it's the Creature Whisperer." Chase mocked. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I'd watch if I were you Chase; Ebony has a particular interest in biting you." Ron cut in as the door to the DA room opened and the shaky professor stepped out.

"O-okay s-s-students! Come i-in!" The purple robed, turbaned professor stuttered, gesturing toward the room. From Harry's arms Rowan rolled her eyes and looked over at Stephano as he yawned and climbed to his feet, stretching.

Entering the class Harry, Ron, and Draco sat in the front right corner table and took out their books, Stephano leaping onto the remaining chair (there was 4 chairs to a table) so they wouldn't have to put up with someone sitting with them. Perking up at the sound of a soft Phoenix song, Harry looked over at the door to see Kestrel swoop in before the Professor closed it. Giving a slight chirp and sending Harry of mental image of the Forbidden Forest (where, he gathered, she had been earlier) she settled elegantly on Draco's right shoulder, much to the blond boy's surprise and Harry's amusement. Likewise, Rowan had dubbed Ron's lap her official napping place and was presently curled up on it while Ebony was coiled in Harry's lap, his head resting lazily on the table.

"W-well c-clase, m-my name is P-p-professor Quirell. T-today we will be s-studying M-magical Creatures." The newly dubbed Professor Quirell struttered causing Harry to raise an eyebrow and Stephano to snort at the man's weakness. Quirell looked around the room before his eyes alighted on Harry and his companions. "A-as you c-can see w-we h-have s-some rare M-magical C-creatures in t-this r-room. M-mr. Halisio w-would it b-be o-okay w-with you i-if we used y-your F-familiars as e-examples?"

Seeing Rowan raise her head, Stephano give another snort, Ebony lazily open an eyelid, and Kestrel give a small trill, Harry shrugged his shoulders and turned toward the Professor. "As long as they don't mind it's perfectly fine with me."

Quirell nodded. "I-it is m-my understanding t-that y-you c-can u-understand a-and t-talk t-to t-them?"

Harry nodded back and stood, allowing Ebony to slither up his arm and onto his shoulders, and gestured for his other three familiars to follow him as he walked up to the front of the class to stand beside the Professor. Yet as he did he noticed a sharp prickling coming from hin scar. Automatically rising his mental barriers a little more, he noticed the prickling went down a little, but didn't go away. Shrugging off the sudden uneasy feeling he stood in front on the Professors desk and leaned against it, allowing Kestrel, Rowan, and Stephano to sit on the nearly bare desk.

(Okay, I'm going to cut out the stuttering, but know that he is doing it (It is such a hassle to type.).)

"The first creature that we are going to go over it the Sable." Quirell said indicating to Rowan, who puffed out her chest causing Harry and Stephano to snicker. "Sables are intelligent, black furred felines with a pair of long fur/feathered wings that, when opened, are two times the length of the feline's body from wing tip to wing tip. Sables are known to grow to a height of about 5 feet tall with a body length of 7 feet, making their wingspan at least 14 feet. As you see Sables start out small when young, about the size of a small house cat until they reach maturity. It usually takes about 13 years for a Sable to reach maturity, their body remaining the same size of a small cat until the 13th year where they go through a sudden growth spurt that lasts at least 13 days. Now usually Adult Sables are classified as 'Dark' due to their capricious, cunning, and ambitious nature, though there has been some cases where Sables that have grown up around people being labeled 'Silver' due to their formality with humans. These are less likely to attack humans given the chance.

"As you can see, Sables have a thick black coat, which is used for warmth in the icy terrain where they originated. For defense they have their claws and teeth, which are longer and sharper then other felines, especially when they are Adults. At the tip of their wings they have an extended claw of some sorts that is used in defense when flying. They merely have to nic their opponent with their wing and the claw will automatically slash the being, causing it to become paralyzed instantly do to a paralysis agent with in the claws. This is also an effective way for Sables to hunt."

Harry watched as Rowan flared out her wings and struck a pose after Quirell was done talking, causing him to roll his eyes and for Stephano to snicker. Ebony pointedly ignored the lot of them in favor of sleeping and Kestrel looked over them with knowing eyes. Then someone let out a loud snort and all eyes turned to Chase, who was leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest looking at them in a superior way.

"If you asked me, _all _Sables should be classified as dark." Chase said arrogantly, looking down his nose at Rowan. "They're all filthy, disgusting creatures."

Harry had to reach up and snatch Rowan out of the air when she had made to leap on Chase. A glance to his left showed a flicker of movement and when he looked on the desk, Ebony was gone.

"Kestrel, Stephano, find Ebony." He said firmly, pretty sure that the large serpent was about to make good to his word. Kestrel leapt into the air with one mighty thrust of her wings while Stephano calmly stretched and jumped off of the desk, nose skimming the air as he tracked the serpent by smell. Meanwhile, Harry looked up at Chase and gave him a disgusted look.

"You shouldn't have done that." Harry stated simply. Chase snorted and Harry gave him a serious look. "You may not be able to understand my familiars with out physical contact with me but my familiars understand you quite well. And they don't take kindly to you insulting one of their own." Harry stopped and turned toward Quirell. "Professor, if I may, can I tell the class about what I have recently learned about Ebony?" Quirell gave him a curious look, but nodded all the same.

Harry turned toward the class. "Ebony, I found out this morning, is what is called a Sage Serpent. Now Sage Serpents are exceedingly rare and targeted do to the fact that only 13 can exist in the world at a time. They are easily identified by their strange coloring and smooth scales and have about 27 to 30 different venoms in their fangs which they can easily control by will. The venoms range from the typical sedative that can knock someone out for a few hours to the highly poisonous Selent Venom, which is more poisonous then Basilisk venom and will kill the host within 5 to 10 seconds. Speaking of Basilisks, Sage Serpent happen to be close relatives to them and while their gaze won't kill, when angered their gaze with paralyze. Also the scales and venoms of a Sage Serpent are used in some of the strongest and rarest potions. Oh, and by the way Chase, you just managed to anger one."

By this time Chase had jumped up onto his desk and was frantically searching the floor around him. Harry found the picture entertaining, but silently indicated to Kestrel all the same, who flew over to Chase and grabbed him by the back of his robes with her claws, successfully lifted him clear off of the desk.

Right before Ebony struck at the very spot he had been sitting.

Chase gave a loud and, in Harry's opinion, very girlish scream when he saw Ebony do so. Resisting the urge to laugh, for Harry knew that if Ebony had meant Chase any real harm then said serpent would have dropped dead due to the contract. Harry sent Stephano and a now very perky Rowan to go round up Ebony, whose laughter he could hear from across the room. Chase was still screaming when Kestrel placed him down on Quirell's desk and Harry rolled his eyes as Kestrel flew over and landed on his shoulder.

The class was silent for a few seconds before one of Chase's Gryffindor friends stood up. "That snake almost killed him!"

"No." Harry said simply and gave a small smile when the boy looked at him in confusion. "If Ebony had wanted to kill him, a flimsy desk and little Kestrel would have not been able to stand in his way. Didn't you notice that he struck _after_ Kestrel lifted Chase off of the desk? Chances are he was waiting for that moment. Trust me, if Ebony had wanted to kill him, they would both be dead, one due to the bite, the other due to the Binding Contract I have with him. As it is, Ebony just wanted to scare the shit out of Chase. In which, I believe, he did a splendid job."

At this point Stephano and Kestrel trotted out with Ebony slithering behind them, said serpent looking very smug. Chase, apparently now realizing that he had been the center of a practical joke, glowered at the self-satisfied snake. That is, until Ebony sent him a loud hiss that had him propelled off the desk and on the other side of the room with in seconds.

Well a where of Draco's and Ron's laughter and the other students confusion, Harry knelt down and allowed Ebony to climb up his arm and settle around his waist.

'_Was that necessary?' _Harry asked as Ebony settled down. Ebony looked up at him and Harry swore if the snake had, had lips, he would be smiling.

_'Absolutely_'

_'What am I going to do with you?'_ Harry sighed walking over to his desk and gathering his books as the bell rang. Rowan jumped on Ron's shoulder as they left the classroom, Stephano trotting closely behind them. As soon as the door shut behind them, Ron and Draco burst into laughter once more as Draco patted Harry on the back.

"Thanks Harry." Draco said between fits of laughter. Harry gave him a questioning look.

"For what?"

"For making it a rememberable first day of school."

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Hey! It's a miracle! Anyway, I sorry if it seemed a little fast paced and crammed, it's just I wanted to get some of the important things done and out in the open so I wont have to struggle to do so in later chapters. Sorry if I hit you with too much at once, so I put in the classroom scene to lighten the mood. Thanks for reading!

R&R


	10. Memories

"Harry! Come on! We're going to be late!." Draco said gesturing hurriedly down the hall they were standing in.

Harry gave a quiet sigh and turned toward his frantic friend. "You go on, I'm going to wait for Neville."

Draco looked like he wanted to say something, but the unwavering look on his friends face stopped him in his tracks. Throwing up his hands in a rather un-Malfoyish way, Draco made an irritated sound before darting down the hall and rounding the corner, disappearing out of sight.

Harry didn't blame his friend. There was no sense in both of them being late. Just as he heard the tarty bell ring Neville rounded the corner with both arms full of books, looking out of breathe. Neville looked up, slightly startled at seeing Harry.

"Harry, what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you of course. Come on or we're going to be more late then we already are." Harry answered easily, walking over to the staggering boy and taking some of the books out of his arms. Neville gave him a grateful look and shifted what was left into a more comfortable position as they started down the hall. Harry was about to ask where his book bag was when he spotted the brown clothe draped over Neville's right arm.

"What happened to your bag?"

Neville looked up, startled by the question, before looking back down. "On my way here some of the students thought it would be funny the cast a tearing curse on the bottom of my bag and a scattering spell on my books when they hit the ground. It took me about ten minutes to find them all."

"Who did it?"

"I don't know, I didn't see them." Harry could instantly tell it was a lie. Mentally heaving a sigh and taking a mental note to work on Neville's self-esteem, Harry let it go. It wouldn't do to rip into the other boy's mind, even if every particle of his being was screaming at him to hunt down and maim the people who did this to his new friend. If Neville wanted to tell him he would in due time.

Harry knew from his first glance at the boy that he would be a bully magnet. He just didn't hold him self with the dignity that other wizards did, and his weight definitely wasn't a bonus. He also knew that Neville didn't know what to think of him. Here he was, a Slytherin who possessed an aura of confidence and power, wanting to be friends with a Hufflepuff. Neville obviously didn't know whether he was serious or not.

But Harry could feel potential in the brown haired boy. The green aura surrounding the boy alone proved that he had an affirmation with plants, which, if guided right, meant that he could become a talented healer. Harry knew that all his friend needed was a slight nudge in the right direction and he could become one of the most powerful healers alive.

But first they needed to get over the confidence issues. If Neville continued to believe that he's a good-for-nothing scared little boy then the thought process would engrave its self in his mind and he would never be able to take the steps it takes to achieve anything. So Harry knew that he would help his friend no matter what it took.

Opening the doors of the Transfiguration classroom, they trotted down the aisle. Many students looked up at their arrival, a few staring at the sight of a Slytherin and Hufflepuff together, before going back to their work. Harry glanced around, seeking Draco's magical signature, before finding the lavender aura and following it. His friend quickly came into view and Harry started walking toward him before another aura caught his attention. Glancing up he noticed that the teachers chair and desk was empty save for a orange tabby cat perched on the desk. Reaching out and identifying the cat as Professor McGonagall Harry wasn't at all surprised; McGonagall did seem to have a feline presence in her aura.

Figuring he'd humor his Professor for the fun of it Harry turned toward Neville. "Phew, we made it. Can you imagine the expression on McGonagall's face if we were late?"

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the cat perk up on the desk before leaping, changing in midair, and landing on two feet, fully human. Harry had expected that, so didn't think much of it, but Neville had been facing toward the desk at the time and had perfect view of the whole event.

"That was brilliant!" He blurted as McGonagall walked up to them.

"Why thank you for that assessment Mr. Longbottom. Perhaps you would be more useful if I were to Transfigure yourself and Mr. Halisio into a pocket watch. That way one of you might be on time."

"Sorry Professor, but we got lost." Harry said, the lie coming easily. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Neville give him a thankful look.

"Then perhaps a map. I trust you don't need one to find your seats." With that McGonagall walked away. Harry took a few more steps before sliding easily next to Draco, Neville sitting beside him. Draco gave him a look that clearly stated 'I told you so' before returning to his work.

Feeling a mental tap Harry looked down as Rowan jumped into his lap. Wondering what she was doing there since his familiars had decided to take a break after the Defense class episode, he reached down and petted her, his hand lingering questioningly on her head. She looked up at him with an innocent violet gaze.

"What? Stephano was snoring too loudly to sleep up there and all you're going to be doing is sitting down all class period. This way I can sleep peacefully with out bothering or being bothered by anyone."

Harry rolled his eyes but gave Rowan one last pat before going back to his work. The young Sable yawned and stretched before curling up in a ball in his lap, wings tucked securely around her body and one black furred paw over her face.

After about a half an hour of letting them wright down what they know about Transfiguration, McGonagall stood from her chair and walked to the front of the classroom, silently indicating for them to put down their quills.

"Now Transfiguration is more like art then magic. To manipulate an object into changing form takes deep concentration and focus. This is especially hard when dealing with live creatures instead of inanimate objects. But no need to worry about that, you will not learn to transfigure live animals until next year."

Rowan's ear had twitched at the sudden voice and she peeked at Harry from around her paw before sighing, stretching, and sitting up in his lap, listening to what the Professor was saying. McGonagall noticed the feline watching her but, apparently deciding that the Sable wasn't going to disrupt her class, didn't comment on it for the whole lesson.

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"Oh, I'm tired. Do you think that Professor Binns would object to falling asleep in his class?" Draco said plopping down on one of the chairs as they entered the library. Hermione gave him a sour look.

"Oh Draco, it was not that bad. In fact, I found it kind of interesting."

"Only you would think that was interesting."

Harry rolled his eyes at the other two and waved as Ron and Neville entered the library and started toward them. He, Hermione, and Draco had just gotten out of their last class of the day, History of Magic. And he would have to admit, he agreed whole-heartedly with Draco. Goblin Rebellions and Wizards Achievements could only be so entertaining. Especially when they where either incredibly wrong or unbelievably biased. Hmm, he would have to break that to Hermione some time.

His familiars besides Rowan had yet to be seen. Rowan was presently curled on top of one of his texts books, watching the humans with interest. The young Sable had stuck with him all day and, when asked about it, complained that she had been bored and that watching humans waving sticks was some sort of entertainment. Kestrel was flying over the Forbidden Forest again according to the images she was sending him, making him have the urge to stretch his own wings and explore himself. The Forest was apparently immense. Stephano and Ebony had yet to show up but he wasn't too worried. Those two could take care of themselves.

"Well, if it isn't the traitors and their snake friends." a snide voice remarked. Harry glanced over and wasn't at all surprised to see Chase standing a few feet away with his pack of admirers. Apparently Ebony's warning didn't make it through his thick skull.

"What can we do for you Mr. Potter?" Harry asked while looking back down at his paper. Beside him he watched as Rowan flicked her tail, eyeing the chubby boy.

"Drop dead." Chase responded earning a "Good one" and "You tell him" from his 'followers'. Harry merely threw him an unimpressed look before going back to his work. Chase, apparently realizing that he wasn't going to get a reaction out of the raven haired boy, turned toward Ron.

"Still hanging out with Snakes, Weasley? You're an embarrassment to Gryffindor."

"Still believing that you have anything intelligent to say, Potter? You're an embarrassment to the human race." Harry responded in a monotone, saving his red haired friend from responding. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ron shoot him a grateful look.

"What is going on here?" a sharp voice cut in. Harry glanced up and sighed as he saw a Potter for the second time today. James stood by his son, glaring at the six seated students. A glance to the right showed Lily and Madam Price not to far away. His friends looked down and fidgeted but Harry rolled his eyes and returned to his work, reponding "What does it look like?"

"You're insulting my son–"

"Your assessment of the obvious is astounding."

"Who is your superior–"

"In ego and body weight."

"Which you need to respect–"

"They both are rather big."

"And listen to–"

"It's hard since he only speaks Moron."

"Stop interrupting me!" James yelled angerly, his face going red. The other students, including Chase and his friends, shrank back from the pissed Professor but Harry merely gave him a bored look.

"Lower your voice, Professor. We're in a library."

James glared at him for a few moments, silently fuming. Harry wasn't at all desturbed; James was an amateur in comparison to a pissed off Elder (Old and Powerful Elf) or Ancient (Old and Powerful Vampire). Elves and Vampires in general were two of the most powerful beings in existence, growing stronger (though not physically older) every day. Ancients and Elders were Vampires and Elves that had lived for thousands of years, their power so immense that even a Muggle would be able to feel it several yards away if it was not properly hidden. Not to mention if an Elder or Ancient got mad their magical aura would fill the room, overwhelming everyone with its intense power. Some could even kill with their aura and that was just using their _aura_. Luckily it was really hard to completely piss off an Elder or Ancient. Unless you knew how.

Now James wasn't even powerful enough to appear threatening. His aura was dim and didn't even have a scent (Powerful beings tended to have a scent attached to their auras, the stronger the scent, the more power they wielded). And being a Lestran meant that Harry had the natural ability of Empathy (Reading aura's, power levels, feelings, magical signatures, etc.).

"That's it! Headmaster's Office, Now!" James finally said, turing on his heel and marching out of the room, Chase and Lily on his heels.

Harry looked at his friends and rolled his eyes while gathering his books, telling them he would meet them at dinner. Rowan jumped off the table and followed him out the door, jumping on top of his book bag to hitch a ride.

"What was that about?" Rowan said licking her paw.

"I don't know, but I think he's offended." Harry said shrugging. Rowan peered up at him.

"Truth hurts."

"Yeah, well, so does karma."

"I'll never get humans."

"Ditto."

"Ah, there you are." A familiar voice interrupted. Harry and Rowan looked up and spotted Stephano trotting toward them, Ebony wrapped loosely around him and Kestrel perched on his back. At the sight of them the Phoenix trilled and flew the short distance to them, landing on Harry's shoulder and settling there. Harry reached up and stroked her feathers.

"Where have you guys been?" Harry asked his two other familiars. Ebony unwound him self from around Stephano and slithered around Harry's waist.

_"Exploring."_

_"That all?"_

_"This place is quite interesting. There is obvious evidence of another serpent being here. Perhaps not in a while, but the scent is there."_

_"Interesting."_

_"Immensely."_

Harry pondered that as he started forward again, Stephano loping beside him. Another snake huh? Figuring it was only a matter of time before they would meet this serpent Harry pushed the thought to the back of his mind and looked up as he neared the stone gargoyle. As he suspected James, Lily, and Chase were already there.

Chase sneered as they got closer to the group, but a simple hiss from Ebony sent him scurry behind his mother, causing Rowan and Stephano to snicker. The grinding of stone brought everyone's attention to the gargoyle, which was now twirling upward with a spiral staircase attached to it. Letting the Potters get on first, Harry waited until it was a little further up before getting on, Stephano beside him. He could tell that the half-Grim was not enjoying this part at all.

The Headmasters Office was lavishly furnished with odd trinkets and items lying around. Books filled the bookcases, which lined the walls from floor to ceiling ( which was pretty high up). All in all Harry thought it was a little over done, and a small snort from Stephano indicated that he was thinking along the same lines.

Headmaster Dumbledore sat behind his large desk, eyes peering over his spectacles curiously at them. But Harry wasn't fooled; he had felt the heightening of the mans presence fill the room and the light prob on his heavily layered mental shields. It didn't surprise him that the man used Occlemency on anyone who entered his office.

"Ah, James, Lily, what brings you hear on this fine day? Lemon Drop?"

"No thank you Headmaster, but we're here over a serious matter concerning him." James said pointing his finger at Harry, who was blandly ignoring hin in favor of stroking Kestrel's feathers.

"I see. Well, sit down." Dumbledore said indicating to the four comfy chairs that had suddenly popped into existence in front of his desk. Harry strode over and took a seat in the chair furthest from the others, Rowan jumping into his lap while Ebony draped himself over the back of the chair and Stephano curled up at Harry's feet. Kestrel chirped and moved down his arm to perch on his forearm, which was resting on the chair arm.

The Potters sat in the remaining chairs, casting glares at the completely relaxed and unbothered Harry. Dumbledore watched this with a curious expression and once more Harry felt a light prob on his shields. Not at all concerned Harry cast Dumbledore an amused look, who promptly removed his prob while giving the boy a peculiar look.

"So, what happened?" Dumbledore finally asked James, who perked up at the question.

"Well, you see I had gone down to the library to check on my son when I saw this boy harassing him. When I told him to stop he started hassling me as well. So I told him to take this to you and here we are."

Dumbledore nodded before turning toward Chase. "Chase what happened from your perspective?"

Chase straightened. "Well, I was in the library with my friends when Halisio and His friends started picking on me for no reason. When I told them to stop they didn't listen so I responded with a few very witty remarks" At this he puffed out his chest causing Harry to roll his eyes "which seemed to get Halisio mad. He seemed to want to attack me when Dad stepped in and told Halisio to leave me alone but then Halisio started insulting him. It almost got out of hand until Dad drew his wand and told Halisio firmly to go to your office. So here we are."

Dumbledore nodded and turned toward Harry. "What do you have to say in defense?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Dumbledore asked raising an eyebrow at Harry who continued stroking Rowan's fur.

"Nothing, because it's incredibly obvious that all three adults in this room are all incredibly biased on the present situation. There for the truth means nothing to them when concerning the 'boy-who-lived'. No offense, but you would believe him if he said the sky was pink or that women came from Mars."

Dumbledore blinked slowly before raising an eyebrow while James glared at Harry and Chase sat in his chair with a confused expression on his face, apparently still trying to figure out what Harry had said. Harry rolled his eyes at them before looking over at Lily.

Only to blink in surprise.

Lily had her head tilted to the side slightly, resting on her hand. But what caught his attention was the slightly thoughtful and semi confused look on her face, it as if she was thinking over something that had never occurred to her before. Harry opened his mouth to say something when Dumbledore cut him off.

"I assure you my boy, we do not play favorites in this school." At this Harry snorted.

"Right. Anyway," Harry continued, standing up and stretching before walking toward the door, "if you want the truth, just take it out of Chase's mind." With that Harry left, his familiars right behind him.

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Lily sat on the bed in the room she and James shared, deep in thought. She didn't know why but something Halisio had said triggered something in her mind, clearing it some how. It was like she was waking up after a long sleep for some reason. Lily looked over at the bed-side table before picking up the frame that resided there.

It was a picture of her, James, Chase, and Rose, her six year old daughter ( Rose had been three at the time the picture was taken) standing in front of a large fireplace, smiling. It had been taken during Christmas three years ago at the Hufflepuff Manor, shot by Sirius. She still remembered that Christmas, Chase had gotten his first broom and flying lessen. It had been disastrous.

Lily smiled slightly, but the grin slowly disappeared as she continued to stare at the picture. It seemed... incomplete some how. Placing the picture down, Lily stood and walked over to the family photo album, picking it up and flipping through it. The pictures felt... wrong for some reason. After flipping threw it fruitlessly for a few minutes, Lily slammed it closed and sighed.

This was ridiculous. What could possibly be missing? Lily heaved another sigh and reached up to place the album back on the shelf. Only to pause when a photo dislodged from the book and drifted lazily to the floor. Placing the album on the table next to her Lily bent down and picked up the picture, flipping it over.

It was a family portrait, taken over seven to eight years ago, before Rose was born, when Chase was three. They had been in front of Godric's Hollow during the spring, in the shade of the big Oak tree. Sirius and Remus were in it, both smiling with their hands on the shoulders of a small boy.

A small boy with long, wavy raven hair and exotic emerald eyes.

_Harry_

Lily felt her legs give out from under her. Falling to her knees she clutched the picture tightly to her chest, tears falling down her face freely as feelings and motherly instincts hit her full force. Feelings, thoughts, and emotions that had been pushed to the back of her mind without a second thought rushed forward.

_Harry. Oh, Harry._

"Lily, are you okay?"

Lily looked up at her husband, tears still falling. "James, how could we forget about him?"

"Forget about who?" James said rushing into the room to kneel beside his wife.

"Harry, James. _Harry."_

"Harry?"

"Our _Son_ James! Chase's twin!"

James's face changed to recognition before he frowned. "Lily, Harry is dead. He died the night You-Know-Who attacked."

"I know but... James, how could we? After the night we heard that Chase was the boy who lived, it was like Harry didn't exist. James, we _forgot _about him! Oh God, I'm such a horrible mother. The last words I said to him were to protect his brother. I didn't even say that I loved him, or that no matter what he was still my little boy... We forgot his birthday! Oh, how he must have felt... and every time we saw him we treated him no better then a house elf... Oh James, _how could we!_" Lily said, everything rushing out. A part of her did not know why she was reacting this way but she pushed it aside.

"Lily! Calm down!" James said shaking his wife. "Harry is dead! And even if he wasn't it is Chase who needs us! He is the boy-who-lived and needs all the love and protection he could get! He–"

"So your saying you would choose one of your sons over the other? That one is more special because of a title?" Lily said suddenly angry, shoving away from James and standing up, still clutching the picture tightly. Staring furiously at her husband, who had remained silent, Lily shook her head slightly as the feelings raging in side of her built. Memories of the twins and James before they knew the prophesy flooded to the front of her mind, along with them the incredible guilt. "Who are you? Because the James I fell in love with would have cared and loved his children equally. Titles be dammed." With that she spun on her heal and walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

Lily paused in the door frame, emotions still going haywire. Though guilt was the strongest. "To some one who will listen to me." And with that she left.

00

00

Sirius grumbled darkly as he drug himself out of bed to answer the door. A glance at the clock showed the numbers 11:30 in neon green. Sighing and scratching his head he opened the door; only to come face to face with a tear soaked Lily.

"Lily, what brings you here at this time of night?"

"Sirius, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah, sure, anytime." Sirius said opening the door wider so that she could walk in. Closing it behind her he helped her into the livingroom of his suite, sitting her down on his couch and taking the chair across from her.

Lily was silent for a few moments before looking up. "Sirius, what do you remember about... Harry?"

Sirius blinked. That was definitely not something he was expecting. "Well, he was a really bright boy for his age, knew words I didn't even know existed. He had really strange coloring, not really shades you would expect to see on a human. Especially his eyes, they were a type of green I had never seen before. Sometimes if you looked at them at them at a specific angle you could see veins of gold and silver running threw them. They were really beautiful and really expressive, always seemed to glow when he was happy. Also his hair was long and was a type of raven black that reflected colors off of it."

"What was he like?" Lily asked, gibby. Sirius blinked.

"Well, he was very athletic. He ran every morning and every night. And the times he wasn't found exercising he would be reading. His room was always full of books, spell books, school books, Muggle novels, you name it. And you could always hold a conversation with him, it didn't matter what type. Politics, sports, games, news, he was always up to date. He also had a killer sense of humor, even cracked a few adult jokes every once in a while."

Lily gave a quiet laugh, which quickly turned into a sob. Sniffing, she looked down at the floor.

"I'm such a horrible mother, Sirius. I didn't even know what my own son was like."

"You're not a horrible mother, Lily."

Lily looked up at Sirius who was looking at his hands. "Look me in the eye and say that."

Sirius sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"You can't, can you." Lily said exhaling. "Oh Sirius, what have I become? What has James become?"

Sirius looked up at her before sighing and leaning forward, taking her hand. "Lily, I'm going to be straight forward with you. Ever since you and James found out that Chase was the supposed 'chosen one' you've let it go to your head. And over the years, you've been getting worse and worse. Lily, Remus has already given up."

"What do you mean by worse?"

"Think about it. When was the last time you thought about the consequences for your actions? Or about anybody else?"

Lily's eyes widened before she placed them in her hands. "What _have _we become?"

00

00

"Nothing like a midnight flight, huh?" Harry called to Rowan, who was doing loop-de-loops in the air. They were flying over the Forbidden Forest with Kestrel, who was somewhere above them. It had been Kestrel's idea, who had drug them out of bed, leaving Ebony sleeping soundly. Stephano had heard them getting up and had begged to go with them. At the moment he was trotting underneath them in the Forbidden Forest, his half Grim status ensuring that everything left him alone.

Harry flapped his wings, the feel of the air going through his feathers was exhilarating. The full moon reflected off of the bright feathers, forming exotic colors around him as he dived and twisted upward, snatching Rowan out of the air. The Sable squealed in surprise, but pawed at him playfully before squirming out of his grasp. Above them they could hear Kestrel's song echoing over the forest.

"This is fun!" Rowan said as she swooped toward the forest. Harry followed her, tucking his wings in slightly so that he could maneuver through the trees easily. They dove beneath the canopies, straightening underneath the bottom layer. Stephano jogged beneath them, easily keeping stride, his coat shining silver in the moonlight.

"We should do this more often." Rowan said.

Just as an arrow shot by her, missing her by inches.

Rowan reared backward in midair, causing her to loose her balance and fall. Luckily Shephano jumped up and caught her from below, allowing Harry to focus on identifying their attacker. Finding an aura signature not to far from them, Harry lashed out with a silent binding spell, catching their attacker off guard. A sharp yelp and a thud told him he had succeeded and Harry nodded toward his familiars before flying toward the aura. Landing next to the being, Harry blinked.

"Why were you shooting at us, Centaur?"

The light blue centaur binded on the ground looked up at him with silver eyes and blinked several times before giving him an apologetic look.

"I apologize Lestran, I did not see you and I thought your companion was merely a bird."

Harry nodded and waved his hand, releasing the centaur from the binding spell. Centaurs were incredibly intelligent creatures, most of their numbers known for being Seers and Star Readers. They were also agile and strong, their bodies and powerful magics making them the perfect warriors. And though they tended to talk in riddles, they never lied.

The blue centaur straightened and brushed himself off, giving Harry a curious look. "You are far from home Lestran. Why?"

"You are far from your herd Centaur. Why?"

The centaur laughed and flung his bow over his back. "I suppose I deserved that one. I was practicing my bow and arrow skills so that I may join the Guard. You?"

"Taking a break from school."

"School?"

"Yes, Hogwarts. Come to find out I have Wizard's magic in me."

The centaur gave him a sympathetic look. Centaurs viewed wizards as an evolutionary mistake and did not think much of them. Rowan and Stephano took that moment to appear from the brush. The centaur turned toward the noise and spotted Rowan.

"I am sorry young Sable. I did not know what you were."

"It's okay. As long as you don't do it again." Rowan said, still slightly shaken up. The centaur nodded and turned back toward Harry.

"I am Cobalt Ri Grian of the West Herd." He said offering his hand. Harry took it and shook it firmly.

"Harry Kainyan Halisio of Alenious."

"Ah, the Great City of the Elves. Tell me, is it as beautiful as the stories say?"

"More so."

"I'll have to visit one of these days." Cobalt said straightening and looking up at the sky. After a few seconds he sighed before turning toward the forest. "This is where we part my friends. Take care." And with that he disappeared into the trees.

"That was strange." Rowan said as she cleaned her paw. Harry folded his arms and looked at his two familiars.

"Come on, let's get back, it's getting late."

The other two nodded and they took to the sky to find Kestrel.

00

00

_Cold wisps of air breezed by him, feeling like icy fingers against his skin. Becoming more awake he realized he was lying on a cold stone floor, possibly in a dungeon of some sort if the constant dripping of water was any indication. Taking a deep breath of the musky air, Harry opened his eyes. The ceiling was what greeted him and Harry sighed before rolling over onto his hands and knees and pushing himself into a standing position._

_After a few moments of looking around he came to the conclusion that he was in another one of his strange dreams. Sighing again, Harry looked up as a short, thin, hooded man entered the door, slipping in and closing the door quietly behind him. After the door was closed the man hurried across the room, brushing past Harry to get to the door on the opposite wall. Harry shrugged and followed the man through the door, knowing that the man couldn't see him and that he had nothing better to do._

_Harry looked around as they entered the second room. It was large with many strange items lying here and there. Following the man to a type of desk, Harry watched as the man sat down and started fiddling with with some items on the desk top._

_"Hurry, Servant. My patience is thinning." _

_The cold, dark voice made Harry jump and look around, trying to locate the source since it didn't seem to come from the man. The voice some how sounded familiar, yet Harry couldn't remember how. A movement caught his eye and he looked back at the man, how was now shivering. _

_"I am sorry Master, I am trying. But the old man has hidden it well and I don't know where to start looking."_

_Harry blinked and raised an eyebrow as the man spoke. And here he thought that the man stuttered every other syllable. Now what was Professor Quirell down here? And who was Master?_

_"We must hurry Servant. Dumbledore is not stupid, of course he hid it well. But our time is getting short, I can only exist in this form for so long. We must get the Sorcerers Stone."_

_"But what of the boy, Master? What of Chase Potter?"_

_There was a pause before the cold voice spoke. "Dispose of him."_

_"And what of the Paseltounge, My Lord? Harry Halisio?"_

_Another pause filled the room as Harry folded his arms, interested in their conversation. It was strange, watching the man having a conversation with some sort of bodiless being. And what was the Sorcerers Stone? Harry rubbed his head, but looked up as the voice spoke._

_"The boy interests me, with his obvious allegiance to both Light and Darkness and the fact that he has both a snake and a phoenix as companions. Also he's powerful, I could feel his magic from across the great hall. It will be interesting to see his role in this war. Perhaps he can be swayed to our cause."_

_Harry snorted and rolled his eyes. Great, another person after his allegiance. And here he thought three was enough. (__That will be explained in later chapters/ stories__) _

_"What do I do about him until then?"_

_"Let time play its course. After all, only time can tell the mysteries of the future."_

_"Yes Master."_

_Harry waited for more, but when none came, he felt a sharp pull around his navel, pulling him back to the land of the conscious._

_00_

_00_

Harry woke with a start and stretched, his hand going up to rub his scare, which was throbbing with a dull ache. But that was expected, it always happened when he had those dreams. Well, at least it wasn't as bad as it used to be when he fought the dreams. When the dreams had first began he had fought to get away from the dreams, always waking up with his scar open and bleeding. But after a while he found if he just 'went with the flow' when the dreams occured, his scar only ached afterwards.

Glancing at the clock, which said 6:30, Harry got up and stretched, thinking about the dream and trying to put the pieces together.

Okay, so apparently 'Master' was using Quirell to find the 'Sorcerers Stone', which Dumbledore had hidden, probably somewhere in the school. Now he could tell that 'Master' was some sort of bodiless being, perhaps a wondering spirit. So perhaps the 'Sorcerers Stone' was some sort of item that would give it a body or the ability to become solid.

But why? Shouldn't a spirit or what ever it was want to pass on? Well, Harry guessed, when it came down to it, it depended on who the spirit or what ever was.

Now completely clean and dressed, Harry sat on his bed and reached over to pet Rowan, who was curled into a ball, asleep, next to him.

Now, the voice sounded familiar, as if from a distant memory. Also 'Master' talked about killing Chase and about some kind of war. And it was something trying to find a body...

As the answer hit him Harry dropped his head into his hand.

Voldemort.

Well, it made sense. Voldemort's body had been destroyed by the backlash of power, but apparently his spirit had survived. Now he was set on getting his body back and completing the war he had started, killing Chase, and taking over the wizarding world. And the voice sounded familiar because Voldemort had spoke before killing Chase.

And when things couldn't get any worse, Voldemort was now interested in him because of his power and his ability to speak Paseltounge. Hmm, so much for the 'stay it the shadows' plan.

Raising his head, Harry looked out the window. Great, this was just fabulous. There was a spirit of a powerful mass murder loose in the school, who had a professor working for him and also had a obvious interest in recruiting Harry. If things couldn't get better, this spirit knew of a way to get its body back and was also dead set on killing Chase. And to top things off Harry had to protect Chase, find a way to stop the spirit without getting captured, and get to the Stone without anyone finding out who he was.

Harry sighed and looked up.

This was going to be a long year.

00

00

Yay! Finally! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I had major writers block. Speaking of which, if you guys have any ideas of things that could happen in the story, I would love to hear them. Also, I need a Beta, so if you guys know any good ones who are willing to help, please tell me.

Cobalt was a random thought but he'll probably play a key role latter on. Also, yes, Lily is not all bad. You have to remember that, yes, she let fame go to her head, but when it comes down to it, she is a really smart and caring witch.(Those of you that caught on that Sirius sensed this from the beginning, congrats). Also, if you're wondering, being in the same room as her long lost son kind on grounded her and triggered her memories (probably the familiarity of his magical signature). You know how strong Maternal Instincts are after all.

R&R


	11. Irony

Oh my gosh! You guys actually think I would abandon this story! Not a chance, you people have to put up with me for a while yet! Anyway, sorry for the long delay. You see, I had it completely typed up during Christmas and was going to update it when suddenly the power went out due the snow storm! I lost everything and had to start from scratch. I was so mad (especially since that was going to be your Christmas present...(sniff)). It took me forever to rewrite it, especially with school back. Sorry it took so long, I haven't given up, Honest!

Well, I doubt you want me to babble on all day so here's the update!

"_Thought speech"_

_Paseltounge_

'_Letter writing.'_

"Regular Speech"

'Thoughts'

0000

By the way, I'm skipping the second, third, and forth day, as there really isn't anything interesting going on.

0000

_'Dear Ginny._

_Things are great here. Lessons are practical but interesting and I'm having a lot of fun with my familiars and friends Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, and your brother, Ron. I've been sorted into Slytherin and it doesn't seem to bother Ron, but are you okay with it? Anyway, from what I can tell so far (It's only my fifth day) McGonagall is strict but just, Quirell stutters far too much to be normal, Binns will put you to sleep within the first five minutes, Flitwick is a really good dueler (don't' ask), Sprout and Neville get along famously, and Grubbly-Plank really knows what she is doing. Other then that and the fact that the Potter's are complete morons (sorry, if you're a fan), nothing much has happened yet. I'll update you again next week._

_Sincerely_

_Harry Halisio_

Harry placed his quill back in the ink as he finished the letter and stood up. Picking up the parchment, rolling it up, and tying it, Harry exited the library and made his way up the owlery.

Walking out into the crisp September air, Harry looked around and, upon locating his snowy white familiar, walked over to her. Hedwig, who was resting next to a dark brown barn owl, spotted him and gave a soft hoot before flying over and landing on his wrist.

"Hey girl, you doing alright?" Harry murmured fondly to the beautiful owl. Hedwig gave another hoot and rubbed her head against his head as he stroked her feathers. Harry smiled and plucked a treat out of his pocket, letting her nibble on it.

"Girl, do you think you can deliver something to someone for me?" In response, Hedwig hooted again and carefully plucked the rolled up letter out of his hand and upon hearing the name "Ginny Weasley", flew off into the sky and out of sight.

Harry stood by the railing, watching her until she was out of sight, before smiling and walking back inside and up to the Gryffindor tower. Taking a shower and getting dressed, Harry slipped Merlin's Staff into his belt before heading down to the Great Hall.

Upon arriving there, he found his friends sitting at the Ravenclaw table, obviously debating something. Rowan, who was curled on the table near Ron, looked up as he arrived causing the others to notice.

"Hey Harry_, _where have you been?" Neville asked curiously.

"In the library writing my penpal. What's going on?"

"We're betting on how many points Chase can loose Gryffindor in the first ten minutes and how long it takes him to blow up a caldron. Want to join us?" Draco said casually.

"Sure, I bet 20 on the first and 35 on the second."

"You four are absolutely ridiculous! Betting on the failure of a student!" Hermione snapped at her male companions. Neville and Ron had the courtesy to look guilty but Harry merely raised an eyebrow and Draco crossed his arms and leaned back slightly.

"With good reason." Draco said as the bell rang. "And if you don't believe that then just wait and see."

With that finishing the conversation the five friends rushed off to the dungeons. Entering the classroom Harry glanced around at the many desks and rows before choosing one in the middle near the wall. As the tables sat three people each Harry sat with Draco and Ron while Hermione and Neville sat at the table next to theirs with a shy looking Ravenclaw named Margaret Moons.

The rustling of clothe was what first alerted him of the man's arrival. Raising his head and fazing out the rest of the class Harry wasn't all surprised when the heavy oak door of the damp, humid potions classroom was thrown open and the black haired Professor strode in, cloak billowing gracefully behind him.

"There will be no wand waving, or silly incantations in this class."Professor Snape drawled as he reached the front of the class and turned around to face them. "As such, I do not expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art of this potion making. However for those select few." At this he looked toward the Slytherins. "Who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death._"_

Harry raised an eyebrow at this but decided not to comment. Then Snape's gaze fell on someone a couple of tables behind Harry's and his eyes narrowed.

"Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not. Pay. **Attention.**"

At this Harry heard a small yelp and couldn't help but roll his eyes as he turned around in time to see Chase hastily shove something into his pocket. From the corner ofhis eye though, Harry saw Snape straighten a little.

"Chase Potter. Our new celebrity." Snape said slowly, a smirk alighting his face. Harry almost felt sorry for his twin.

Almost.

"Tell me, what would I get if I added the Powdered Root of an Asphodel to an Infusion of Wormwood?"

Chase blinked. "Umm, a potion?"

"You don't know? Let's try again. Where would you look if I told you to find a Bezoar?"

"In a Potions classroom."

"Wrong. What is the difference between Monkswood and Wolfsbane?"

"Uh, one plant's taller?"

Snape smirked in satisfaction. "Incorrect. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it Mr. Potter."

Harry smirked and silently commended the young Vampire. He couldn't have done it better himself. Snape glanced toward him and noticed the smirk.

"From the look on your face, Mr. Halisio, I take it you know the answers? Care to share with the class?"

Harry nodded. Being proficient in elf magic Harry was able to use one of his mind magics to speed up his reading abilities. Because of this he was able to finish all of the school books for every subject in every year in a week. Come to find out wizard magic was incredibly simple and easy to understand. Unfortunately, though, even though he understood how to interpret and use wizard magic he still had to stay at the school because his wizard magical core (he had three magical cores; wizard, elf (which he had developed after being around elves and their magic for so long) and Ancient, which he had gotten from the awakening of his Lestran side since Lestrans had powerful magics of their own) needed to be around wizard magic for a few years (seven) so that it could be completely stabilized. So Harry was stuck here, knowing everything and getting board out of his mind, all because his stupid wizarding magic. Irony was a bastard.

Luckily for him though, because of his photographic memory he was able to remember everything he had ever read. That included all the Potions books.

"Infusion of Wormwood and Powdered Asphodel Root create a powerful sleeping potion called the Draught of Living Death, which is named because of its peculiar effects of slowing down a person's breathing and heart beat so that they appear to be dead. A Bezoar is found in the stomach of a goat and can save a person from most poisons. And Monks wood and wolfsbane have no difference besides the name; they are the same plant. It is also called Aconite by Muggles."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "And what do I get if I add Bromswitch with Henarice?"

"A type of sleeping potion nicknamed 'Sand Man' because of its ability to put you right to sleep."

"And Ratenal and Talenious?"

"You can't mix those two, they're incompatible with each other."

By this time Snape's other eyebrow had joined the first. "Twenty points to Slytherin." he stated calmly. "It's nice to know someone bothered to read their books." At this he shot Chase a look before writing the potion they were to make on the board.

30 minutes later Snape was checking all the potions to see where they were at. He made a face at some of the potions but when he got the their group they were placing the last finishing touches on the potion, and Hermione, Neville and the Ravenclaw were cleaning up.

Snape sniffed the potion and gave it a stir before nodding. "This is a fine first potion" he stated.

"We find that if you read and listen to the directions, it's not that hard. If you don't, well..." Harry looked down at his watch and counted down to one with his fingers.

At that moment Chase's cauldron exploded, covering his entire group head to toe in green goop.

"That happens." Harry finished. Snape gave him a strange look.

"How did you know when it would happen?"

Harry shrugged. "I read in the book that if you add Rooks Root before taking the cauldron off the fire the unstable combination would mix and cause the cauldron to blow 5 minutes and 24 seconds later. So when I saw him add it that way, it was simple to start timing it. Come to find out the book had it down to the second."

"I see what you mean. 20 points from Gryffindor!" Sanpe said shouting the last part before turning and walking away, but not before giving Harry a strange look. Harry looked toward Draco and smirked, showing him his watch.

"You owe me five Galleons."

00

00

"Man, I couldn't even pronounce the name of the potion let alone make it." Ron sighed as they exited the potions laboratory and headed toward the Great Hall for lunch. Ron had mostly help cut up the ingredients for the potion. Harry glanced at him.

"I don't know why you're complaining; it's just like cooking."

"My point exactly; I can't cook."

They had reached the Great Hall by the end of his sentence. Harry and Draco lead them over to the Gryffindor table where Ron promptly filled up his plate and started munching down. Hermione gave him a disapproving look.

"You can't cook, but you sure can eat. You would think the two things went hand in hand." Draco remarked casually. Ron shot him a look but slowed down all the same. Harry rolled his eyes and looked toward his brother's group, who were sitting a little ways away from them. He raised an eyebrow as he saw Seamus Finnigan flicking his wand at his goblet. Neville glanced up to say something before following his gaze.

"Ron, what is Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?" Neville asked aloud.

Ron glanced over before shaking his head. "Turn it into rum. He actually managed to make tea yesterday, before-"

Just before he finished his sentence an explosion sounded through out the Great Hall, making Hermione and a few others jump. Harry held in a snort as Seamus and Chase, who was sitting next to him, were covered from the waist up in black soot.

"Well, I guess the answer is obvious." Ron finished with a shrug, a smile on his face. Just then a sound of wings reached them and they all looked up as hundreds of owls filled in from the roof of the Great Hall.

"Ah, mail's here." Ron exclaimed as the owls flew over the tables and dropped letters and packages to the students below. Neville got a package with a see through sphere called a Remembrall while Harry smiled and watched in curiosity as Hedwig headed toward him and landed on his out stretched arm.

"Hey girl. Safe journey?"

Hedwig chirped and extended her leg where, to Harry's surprise, a letter rested. Harry took it and offered her some of his breakfast which she gladly excepted. Looking over the letter Harry raised an eyebrow as he realized it was from Ginny. Huh, he didn't expect to her from her for another day or so. Ron glanced up from the newspaper and letter he was holding.

"Hey, who's the letter from?" he asked curiously. Harry debated it for a minute before shrugging; Ron would find out eventually anyway.

"It's from your sister, Ginny. She's my pin pal."

Ron froze before looking at Harry suspiciously. "How do you know my sister?"

"I met her at Kings Cross when she literally ran into me. She seemed really nice and really curious about Hogwarts so I agreed to write her since she mentioned that her brothers don't really have the time to."

At this Ron had the courtesy to look guilty before mumbling something undistinguishable and going back to his letter. Harry and Draco exchanged glances before Harry shrugged. Just then Ron crumpled the letter he was reading and sighed while throwing it over his shoulder. He expressed indifference when his friends gave him a curious look.

"I don't know why I read those letters anymore. It was pretty much the same as the last one; how I shouldn't be hanging out with you guys, how I'm a disappointment to the family, how I should befriend the' boy who lived', blah, blah, blah. I swear, the only ones not disappointed in me in my family are the twins."

"Ron, that's horrible! You don't have to hang out with us if it's ruining your relationship with your family!" Hermione said slightly aghast. Ron shrugged.

"Who I have as friends is my business and I'm not going to let my family dictate my life because they are incredibly biased." At the strange look everyone was giving him he held up his hands. "What?"

"It's just strange hearing that from you when you had the same opinion not so long ago." Draco stated flatly.

"Yeah, well, I've been hanging out with you guys since we got here so I guess you kind of rubbed off on me. Besides, you and Harry are both Slytherins and I don't see anything wrong with you. So I don't see their problem."

"Why do they want you to stay away from us?" Neville asked quietly.

"They think you guys are going to get me into dark magic or something."

Harry shook his head with the others and turned back to the letter in his hand. Opening it he smiled at the neat hand writing.

-

_Dear Harry,_

_I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from you. Mom nearly blew up though, when she found out the letter was from you. Something about the corruption of two of her children. I had to sit through an entire lecture on how Slytherins are evil, blah, blah. It got annoying after a while. It's good to hear that you are friends with my brother. He needs someone to watch his back. And it's okay with me that you are a Slytherin, I'm not biased like my family. Your clases sound really interesting, I can't wait to start next year._

_Sincerely_

_Ginny_

_P.S. I got a question. I noticed that you and Ron were friends with Draco Malfoy. Is he really the pompous jerk my parents make him out to be?_

_-_

Harry smiled and at Ron's questioning look, handed him the letter. Ron read it and smiled.

"I stand corrected. The only ones not disappointed in me in my family are the twins _and_ Ginny."

Hermione sighed and picked up Ron's newspaper, flipped it open, and disappeared behind it. Neville and Draco also read the letter, the later snorting at the parent's idiotically and the question at the bottom. After a few minutes however the silence was broken by a gasp a little ways away from them.

"This is the vault my dad and I visited before going to Hogwarts!" Chase exclaimed. Harry raised an eyebrow and exchanged glances with Hermione, who had peered over the paper at the comment, before Hermione flipped to the front of the paper and laid it flat on the table.

On the cover was a picture of a few goblins arguing in front of a vault. Hermione skimmed the article before glancing up.

"Listen to this 'Believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown Gringots goblins that were acknowledging the breech insisted that nothing was taken. The vault in question number 713 was in fact emptied earlier that very same day.'"

"Well, somebody has been busy." Draco remarked looking at an apple in his hand. "I wonder what was in the vault that they were willing to go to Azkaban for."

Hermione looked up. "Azkaban?"

"Wizard prison." Draco, Neville, and Ron answered simultaneously. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances again before Harry pulled out his schedule.

"Next we have... Flying with Madam Hooch and... Oh, joy, Potter."

"The Potters seem to hate you for some reason." Neville remarked.

"Yeah, it's the fact I don't kiss the ground their son walks on. They're probably also the ones telling Ron's parents what a 'horrible influence' I am."

Ron looked up at this. "You're probable right."

After a few more minutes talking about idiotic parents the five friends finally departed for their flying lesson. Upon walking onto the field the group noticed brooms littering the lawn in four rows. Quickly picking a row the five walked up beside the brooms and waited.

Five minutes later when all the first years were there Madam Hooch and James joined them.

"Good afternoon class." Madam Hooch said walking down one of the aisles. The students all chorused 'Good afternoon Madam Hooch' as she reached the front of the group. Turning toward them she placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, what are you waiting for. Everyone step up to the left side of their broom stick. Stick your right hand over the broom and say 'up!'"

Everyone did so and Harry wasn't surprised when his broom shot straight into his hand at the first command. A few others did it as well including Draco and Neville but people like Hermione, Ron, and Chase were having trouble. At one point Chase shouted 'up' in an annoyed manner, which his broom promptly responded to by shooting up and hitting him straight in the nose, causing those around him to snicker. That is, until James shot them a glare. Harry and his friends ignored it.

"Now that you got a hold of your broom I want you to mount it. And grip it tight."

At this point Harry really wished to use his own broom, which was shrunken in his pocket. How people could ride the things without a certain part of their anatomy hurting really was a mystery.

"When I blow my whistle I want each of you to kick off from the ground hard, keep your broomstick steady. Then I want you to lean forward slightly, then touch back down. One, two-"

At the sound of the whistle Harry kicked off the ground and hoovered. Squishing down the urge to spread his wings and shoot out into the sky Harry looked around at the other students.

A slight humming and vibrating from Merlin's Staff was all the warning Harry had before Neville suddenly shot straight into the sky. Harry shoved down his panic and focused on following where the Staff was trying to tell him to go. Finding the source of the Staff's distress Harry's eyes narrowed.

James was looking to the sky in amusement as Neville was tossed around. Under his cloak Harry could see James's wand pointed toward the sky.

Shooting James such a glare Harry focused all his mind and expanded it, searching until he found the bright red aura.

_'Kestrel!' _Harry thought, pushing power into that one word. Immediately he felt Kestrel respond, a chirp sounding in his mind as she started toward him.

Focusing back outward Harry was about to say something to James when Chase suddenly ran into his father to avoid getting hit by Neville as he zoomed low to the ground and by the class. Madam Hooch had taken out her wand but had to literally had to leap out of the way to avoid getting hit as well. James was knocked off balance and his concentration was broken, causing the spell, which no longer was being directed, to go haywire.

To everyone's shock Neville was then slammed against the castle wall, right on a slight protruding brick. A sickening crack sounded through out the courtyard making Harry clench his teeth; Neville had broken his arm. Giving James a murderous glare Harry took out his wand, but before he could do anything, to his horror, the broom tilted upside down sending Neville, who couldn't hold on with one broken arm, plummeting toward the ground.

The teachers tried to stop his descent but he was falling to fast and the spells couldn't reach him in time. Realizing this Harry focused all his mental power into a mental scream.

_'KESTREL!'_

Suddenly as they watched a ball of fire appeared out of nowhere and shot toward Neville, catching him 6 feet from the ground. With a chirp Kestrel materialized from the flames, her claws gripping the back of Neville's robes as she slowly lowered him to the ground. When he was safely on the ground and being examined by Hooch and a slightly guilty looking James, Kestrel flew over and landed on Harry's shoulder, rubbing her head against his as if to ask if he was okay.

Harry sighed in reply and stroked her feathers. "Thanks girl. I owe you one."

Kestrel chirped again and sang a few notes to calm the tense atmosphere down. When everyone was calmer Kestrel left to go back to her hunting and Hooch and James picked the now unconscious Neville up and carried him toward the castle.

"Everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground while we take Mr. Longbottom to the Hospital Wing, understand. If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will be out of Hogwarts before they can say Quiddich." Madam Hooch said strictly as the trio disappeared into the castle. Harry watched them go and sighed.

"Did you see his face?" Chase's voice sounded and Harry turned around to see his brother tossing something clear and round up and down. Neville's Remembrall. "Maybe if the fat lub had given this a squeeze he wouldn't of had to fall on his fat ass."

"Give it here, Potter." Ron said stepping up. Chase turned toward him.

"No." Chase said calmly as he mounted his broom. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about the roof?" At that he shot up into the air, albeit a little wobbly, and hoovered, tossing the Remembral up and down.

"What's wrong Weasley? Fit beyond your reach?"

Ron went to mount his broom but Harry cut him off.

"I'll do it." Harry said in a 'no arguing' voice. Hermione walked up to him.

"Harry, don't. You heard what Madam Hooch said. Besides, you don't even know how to fly!"

Harry ignored her and promptly flew into the air. Out of all of them he was _the only one_ who knew how to_ really_ fly. So this was rather simple. Though he still wished he could us his own broom or wings.

Reaching Chase's height Harry brought his broom to a stop a little ways away from him.

"Give it here Chase, or I'll knock you off your broom."

"Have it your way then." Chase said smirking. Then to Harry's horror he drew back his arm and threw the glass sphere with all his might toward the castle.

Letting his instincts take over Harry leaned down and pushed the broom, shooting after the sphere. The speed the broom was going was no where near what he could go with his wings, but he pushed it all the same and, with a 360 turn and a dive, he caught the Remembrall inches away from the brick castle wall.

Immediately he heard the roar of cheers coming from behind him as he lowered himself to the ground. When his feet touched he was instantly tackled by several people.

"Harry Halisio!"

Harry jumped at his name and turned toward the castle. Snape approached them with McGonnagal on his heels. Harry sighed.

After a good 15 minutes of trying to explain (All of Slytherin and Ravenclaw and some of Hufflepuff and Gryfindore vouching for Harry) the two teachers concluded the story ( the true one this time) and gave Chase detention. Harry was then taken by Snape to Flint and given the Seeker position on the Slytherin team (you know the story).

When Harry finally got out of Snape's office he sighed and turned to go down the hall; only to get a face full of fur and feathers.

"Rowan! Hedwig! What's wrong with you two?"

Hedwig promptly ignored him in favor of pecking at him. Rowan on the other hand calmly jumped aside. Harry figured out why rather quickly as his was thrown on his back. Looking up Harry's eyes met Stephano's, who was now sitting on his chest with a smug expression. At this point Hedwig landed on the floor and ruffled her feathers, giving Harry a frustrated look.

"Okay you guys! What's wrong!" Harry said exasperated.

"What's wrong? What's _wrong? _You scare us to death with a desperate mental shout to Kestrel and you ask us what's wrong? We thought you were dying or something!" Rowan said coming into his view. Harry looked at her.

"You guys heard that?"

"Of course we heard it! You had Stephano, Hedwig, Ebony, and myself going crazy trying to find you. And it didn't help that we suddenly lost contact with Kestrel!"

'That was probably when she fire transported.' Harry thought briefly.

"Sorry to worry you guys. It was just Neville was in danger and I automatically reacted."

Hedwig bristled and shot him a murderous look, but relented and walked over to give him a slight nip on the ear.

~_That bird was especially going haywire. I think she thinks of all of us as her hatchlings.~ _Ebony's voice sounded from above him, causing Harry to look up from his place flat on his back on the floor and spotting the serpent's face about a foot from his own.

~_I think so to. She's such a mother hen~_ Harry said fondly. Ebony nodded as Stephano got off of Harry's chest and allowed him to sit up.

"You still deserved that." Stephano said flatly while licking his paw innocently. Harry shot him a glare but sighed when Stephano only looked back in amusement, unaffected. Rubbing the back of his head, Harry stood and sighed again before walking down the hall to find his friends, his familiars on his heels.

Come to find out they didn't have the Dueling class until next semester so Harry and his friends had that hour as a study hour. By the end of the day though (which they had spent in the library at Hermione's coaxing) the group was exhausted and literally fell into bed for the night.

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"_Good morning sleeping beauty! It's absolutely gorgeous today, isn't it?"_

Harry groaned and rolled over onto his back and blinked. _"...Vincent?" _

_"Who else has such a charming voice like mine."_

Harry rubbed his eyes and glanced at his clock; only to groan. 5:30 shone back in neon numbers.

_"Did you and Rowan conspire about waking me up early in the morning or something?"_

_"What, she did it too? We must be kindred spirits."_

_"God forbid."_

_"Anyway, you ready for your weekly lessons?"_

_"... you're kidding, right?"_

_"Nope."_

Harry groaned and pulled the covers over his head. Though after about a minute Vince started singing '100 bottles of beer on the wall', which promptly had him out of bed within a second.

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"Harry? HARRY!"

Harry's head shot up from on top of the table and he blinked, then smiled sheepishly at Hermione, who was standing next to him, foot tapping on the floor.

"Sorry, what was that?"

Hermione sighed and sat down on the bench at the Slytherin table next to Harry. Draco and Ron, who were currently sitting across from him, smirked and looked back down at their food as he yawned. Hermione looked at him questioningly.

"Long night?"

"No, early morning."

"When did you wake up?"

"5:30."

"5:30?"

"I blame the bottles of beer." Harry responded, ignoring the strange looks and raised eyebrows directed towards him.

"Anyway." Ron said straining the word and giving Harry a strange look. "We were thinking about visiting Neville today if Madam Promfey will let us."

Hermione instantly brightened. "That's an excellent idea Ron! Let's go!"

The boys shot each other amused glances, but got up all the same and headed out of the Great Hall.

"Who ever thought of putting the Hospital Wing on the very top floor had a crude sense of humor." Ron said as they climbed their third set of stairs. Harry, Draco, and Hermione nodded but before anyone could say anything the stairs they were on suddenly swung away from the wall, causing them to grip the rails to prevent from falling.

"What's happening?" Ron asked in shock. It was Hermione that answered.

"The staircases change, remember?"

When the staircase came to a stop they all bolted to the next floor to avoid the staircase moving again. Upon reaching it they walked in, only to pause.

The entire floor was covered in dust and cobwebs, which clung to horrifying looking statues and torch columns. Blinking Harry raised an eyebrow. The designer of this place had a strange sense of humor.

"Does anyone feel like, we're not supposed to be here?" Ron asked looking around.

"We're not _supposed _to be here. This is the third floor! It's forbidden!" Hermione answered. Suddenly the torch nearest to them flared to life causing Harry's friends to back up.

"Let's go." Draco said. Harry shrugged (he had seen _much _scarier places) and turned with the others; only to came face to face with Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat.

They froze before Hermione and Ron said "It's Filch's cat" (Hermione) and "Run!" (Ron) simultaneously. Harry didn't get the point but turned on his heel and sped down the corridor all the same.

"Get to that door!" Draco shouted. They all ran up to it and Ron pulled at the handle, only to have it not budge.

"That's it. We're done for." Ron said. But before Harry could do anything Hermione pushed past him.

"Oh, move over. Alohamora!" she said pointing her wand at the lock. The door immediately sprang open and with a simple "Get in!" from Hermione they were all inside.

"Alohamora?" Ron said questioningly.

"Standard book of spells, chapter seven."

Instantly the three crowded around the key hole while Harry sighed and looked around the room. Only to freeze.

"Filch is gone." Draco said straightening.

"He probably thinks this door is locked." Ron remarked.

"It _was_ locked". Hermione corrected.

"And for good reason." Harry added flatly.

The trio froze as they looked to where he was looking. Harry watched in mild interest as the Cerberus slowly awoke and yawned, showing its teeth. Harry, of course, had already seen a Cerberus before as one of his Vampiric teachers back at his school had one for a pet, but the others weren't as lucky. Before he could tell them that making loud noises was one of the stupidest things you can do they all opened their mouths.

And screamed.

Harry mentally sighed as the Cerberus reacted. Moving swiftly out of the way of its deadly jaws when it launched toward him, Harry left the room with his friends and helped them shut the door and lock it. Then the group hurried off the floor and up toward the Hospital Wing, where Ron and Hermione told a wide eyed Neville what had happened. After about a half an hour later Harry, Neville, and Draco were able to get the two to calm down

"What do they think they're doing? Keeping a thing like that locked up in the school!" Ron finally sighed while plopping himself onto the end of Neville's bed.

"You don't use your eyes do you?" Hermione said sharply. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"I wasn't looking at it's feet! I was a little too preoccupied with it's heads, or perhaps you didn't notice. There were three!"

Hermione gave him a look. "It was standing on a trap door. Which means it wasn't there on accident. It's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" Draco said looking up.

"Yes, now if you guys don't mind, I'm going to the library before any of you guys come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled." At this she promptly turned on her heel and left the four boys looking after her. Then Ron sighed and rubbed his head with the palm of his hand.

"She has got to sort out her priorities."

The other three nodded.

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Sorry, it's not as long as usual but I really wanted to get it up tonight so you guys wouldn't have to wait anymore. And I got a few questions.

I was surprised about the fact that some of you guys completely shot down the idea of a Harry/Ginny pairing. So I've decided to let you guys have a choice about the pairing. If it's okay with you to have a H/G pairing review and put H/G somewhere into the review. If you want a different pairing them say which one you want and I'll tally up the votes. I have to warn you though, no Yaoi pairings. I don't mind reading them, but I absolutely such at writing them.

Also I need you guys to vote on this too; should I make Dumbledore and co the bad guys or stick with Voldemort and co as the bad guys?

R and R please!


	12. Trolls and Truths

1Yey, this update was kinda fast. You see, I had a four day weekend, so I spent the whole time writing for you guys! You're welcome.

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_"So your school has a Cerberus locked up in it? Strange, considering wizards tend to hate all magical creatures."_

_"I know, isn't_ _it? And according to a friend of mine, it was standing on a trap door."_

_"Hmm, I wonder what the wizards are hiding."_

_"And you know the funny part? The Headmaster practically invited every student to the third floor. You would think that after being around kids all his life he would know about their curious nature and the fact that if you specifically tell them not to do something, they'll do it."_

_"Yeah, he should know better. Unless that was his goal."_

Harry paused in the middle of dodging, subconsciously erecting a shield around himself. A resounding _cling_ echoed around the room as the knife that was heading toward him hit his shield and bounced off.

_"His goal?" _Harry thought-spoke curiously.

_"Well think about it. He told a hall full of hundreds of children __not__ to go somewhere, knowing full well that their curiosity would eat at them."_

_"I don't know, Vince. As manipulative as the old coot is, I doubt he would purposely send children against a fully grown Cerberus."_

_"Well, maybe it wasn't directed toward everyone. Maybe it was directed toward a certain individual."_

Harry debated that as he dropped his shield and skillfully caught the hilt of a knife that had flew toward him. Using his wrist and the knife's momentum he flung it back at the dummy standing in the middle on the room, not even wincing at the _thunk _as the knife lodged into the dummy's chest. Glancing at the dummy as it fell to the floor, Harry looked around at the strangely furnished room.

Ebony had found this room on one of his many tours of the castle. It was a room that appeared if you walked in front of the door three times thinking about where you wanted to go. Ever since Ebony had showed him it Harry had been using it to work out and practice. 

Harry moved quickly to the right as another dummy suddenly appeared and threw a dagger at him. Seeing the dagger magically change direction toward him Harry hit the ground and rolled, the dagger missing him by inches. Quickly leaping to his feet, Harry watched as the dagger circled back around, heading toward him again. Huh, it was a seeker.

Seeing that dodging wasn't working and shielding was a waste of energy Harry reached to his side and slipped Merlin's Staff out of its holder. Banishing it in front of him, Harry gently tapped into the magic, feeling it vibrate in greeting under his fingers. Feeling more then seeing the magic, Harry watched as the air in front of him rippled. The dagger promptly disintegrated in mid air inches from him.

_"I see you have gotten better with the staff." _Vince's voice remarked causally in his head. Harry smiled.

It had been two months since Harry and his friends had seen the Cerberus. It had also been about 2 months since Vince had last contacted him. So Harry had spent much of the time explaining everything that had happened to him.

_"Well, I figured that since you were taking your time in contacting me, I would practice without you."_

_"Sorry, the professors have been keeping me busy. Professor Serafious has been especially moody lately."_

Harry couldn't help but smile at that. Professor Serafious a.k.a Angelus Serafious (Sir-af-ius) was the oldest and most powerful Vampire alive. He was one of the Ancients (more like _the_ Ancient) you did not want to mess with. He was also the Rune Magic (Blood Magic), Psyche Magic (Soul Magic), and Necromancy (Death Magic) teacher at Harry's school in the Elf's realm. And although the Ancient tended to be dark, mysterious, and a Sadist, Harry loved and respected the man like a father. Which was an apt title for the vampire as he and Kiryan were the ones who raised Harry and taught him everything he knew.

_"He just misses me." _Harry said fondly. Vince gave a mental snort.

_"My point. You better contact him soon, or __WE__ will never hear the end of it."_

Harry laughed. _"I'll send him a letter."_

_"Good idea, although it would be amusing to see the looks on the wizard's faces if he decides to check on you personally. Although, they would probably pass out when he enters the room. Wizard minds are very fragile."_

Harry snickered at the mental image. Though Vince was probably right; the weaker minded wizards would pass out around the Ancient if he didn't conceal his powerful aura.

The humming of the staff extracted Harry from his thoughts and he flicked his free hand through the air. Immediately the air shifted and colored forming the neon numbers and letters 7:54 Thursday, October 31; Halloween. Sighing, Harry waved his hand through the air once more, watching as the dummy turned to ash and the room rearranged its self.

Harry had found early on that it was much easier and more adequate to use wandless magic or The Staff when doing magic. He didn't really use his wand because he found it too constricting and scathing, feeling as if he had to shove his magic forcefully through it to accomplish the simplest of spells. It was like walking through a tightly packed crowd; sure you could do it but it was highly uncomfortable.

_"I'll have to finish this lesson later, Vince. I got Charms in 6 minutes."_

_"Charms? That sounds... interesting."_

Harry mentally broke off the connection and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him and watching absentmindedly as it disappeared into the wall before starting down the hall toward his next class.

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"Were you just in contact with Harry?"

Vince looked up from his crossed-legged position on the floor and sighed at the sight of Kiryan. "Yeah."

Kiryan stepped fully into the blank white room. "How is he?" she asked sitting down in front of him on the plain marble floor, elegantly folding her dress around her. Vince raised an eyebrow.

"He's fine, you worry too much. Anyway, if you really want to know, why don't you contact him?"

Kiryan sighed and creased her right-hand finger over the gold ring with silver ivy that adorned her left hand ring finger. "I just haven't had the heart to do so."

"Why?"

"Because his real mother is at the school he is at."

Vince hastily shoved back the remark that had come to his mind at that and sighed. "So that's what's worrying you. Kiryan, Harry will always think of you as his mother, you know that."

"But I'm not, no matter how much I wish to be. I'm not by blood."

"That doesn't matter. You've done the job, haven't you?"

"Yes, but–"

"Then stop worrying." Vince stated getting up. "No matter what, nothing will change the way Harry sees you. Remember that."And with that Vince left, his words hanging in the air behind him. Kiryan stayed where she sat, eyes resting on her ring before she sighed and sat forward.

She knew that Harry would always love her as a mother, but she could help but feel as if she were taking something from him. She couldn't here but feel like she was standing between him and his real family. Even if they neglected him for fame, Kiryan was sure that Harry still loved them, no matter how much it hurt him to admit it. How much it hurt _her _to admit it.

Lost as she was in thought, Kiryan didn't notice the presence that had entered the room until two strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her to her feet and against a broad, muscular chest. She stilled, then relaxed as two warm lips rested on the side of her neck.

"Tell me, what is a beautiful rose such as yourself doing wilted on the floor?" A dark, velvet voice whispered in her ear as the lips creased her throat. Kiryan couldn't help but smile at that and turned in his arms, resting her hands on his chest and watched as he slowly raised his head.

Angelus Serafious looked back at her in amusement, his pristine, vagrant violet eyes shining in mirth. Vivid amber hair fell around his shoulders in think waves, the majority of it attempting to be tamed by a leather thong at the nape of his neck, and he was clad, as always, from head to toe in black silk and leather. He was tall and muscular, though not overly so, and his physical features appeared as if they had been carved after a Greek god, perfect and unblemished. But his most impressive attribution was the think, dark magic that pulsed around him, acquired by thousands of years of perfecting.

All in all, the Ancient was powerful and drop dead gorgeous.

He was also the love of her life.

"Angelus, what are you doing here? Don't you have a class to worry about?"

"I took the day off." Serafious stated tilting his head back slightly. "Why so withdrawn?"

Kiryan sighed. "It's nothing. It's just..."

"He's fine you know. Harry can take care of himself."

"So I've been told." Kiryan sighed. Serafious gave a smile, the ones she loved so much. Only around her and Harry did he let his impassive mask drop. Only around them he didn't have to be the all powerful and untouchable leader the world knew him to be. And it was when he was like this that Kiryan felt her heart swell.

Raising her arms Kiryan wrapped them around his neck and brought his head down, meeting his lips in a kiss. It lasted for a moment before they broke apart and stared into each others eyes. Kiryan felt a feather light touch against her mental shield and she automatically opened her mind to him. After a moment Serafious's eyes darkened.

"You know the answer to that as well as I do. No one can take your place in Harry's life."

Kiryan sighed and looked away from his intense violet eyes. "But they're his real family–"

"So are we." Serafious said placing his finger under her chin and turning her head until their eye met once more. "Me, you, Vince, Elder Kaden, and all the others. And we always will be, no matter what. Even if Harry chooses to leave Alenious, he will always be your son, and mine. And nothing can change that."

Kiryan gave a small laugh. "You're so confident."

Serafious gave a small smirk. "But that's what you love about me." which promptly earned him a small slap on the chest.

"Keep telling yourself that."

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"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly. Do you have your feathers?"

At this Hermione raised her's causing the white haired dwarf professor to reply with a "Good."

"Now, don't forget the nice wrist movement we have been practicing. The swish and flick. Everybody." The professor added causing most people to pick up their wands and chant with him.

"Oh, and annunciate 'Wingardian Leviosa'. Off you go then."

Harry raised his head from where he had put it on his hand earlier and sighed; there was really no point to wizard magic, was there. Honestly, he didn't get the point with all this wand waving and silly incantations (Snape had been right on with his analogy). It was foolish and a waste of time. It was easier to just think of what you wanted done and shape your magic to do it, not just wave a stick and expect something to happen. You had to will it. No wonder wizards were so behind all the other magical creatures. (Obviously you had to use your own power to do things, so the more power you had personally, the more you could do. Which, of course, came down to the fact that if you didn't have much power, you couldn't do the more complex spells.)

Beside him Ron and (beside Ron) Neville were trying to pronounce the spell while waving their wands while Hermione was on the far end beside Neville and next to an unhappy Chase and co. Draco was on Harry's other side reading a book, obviously, like him, bored with the whole affair.

For the last week all of the houses were having joint classes on behalf of the holiday; Halloween (come to find out they did it every holiday week). So Harry had his friends and, unfortunately, Chase, in all of his classes.

Harry glanced over at said person to see him jabbing away at his feather until Hermione, who was unfortunately the one who was sitting by him, put her hand in front of him.

"No, stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Levi-O-sa, not LeviosA." Harry heard her say, causing him to smile; leave it to Hermione to try to take pity and correct the unmanageable.

"You do it then if you're so clever. Go on, go on." Chase said, making a shooing motion. Hermione scoffed and picked up her wand and waved it, pronouncing the spell. Harry raised an eyebrow and switched to Other Vision, a type of sight that Serafious had taught him that allowed him to see magic in all its forms. Instantly the world turned violet and gold, auras of different colors surrounding everyone. But the best and most interesting part of Other Vision was it allowed you to see one's magical core.

Most of the children's were very small, which didn't surprise Harry at all. Wizards were not very powerful to begin with, and since they all used wands for casting they were forever limiting their magic to what the wand could take. Therefore most of the cores Harry could see right now would never change or grow. Which was sad really, some of them were pretty pathetic.

Focusing on Hermione he watched as the runes that made up the spell were hastily shoved together and forced through the wand, awkwardly surrounding the feather and heaving it shakily through the air. Harry shook his head; another reason he hated wands and incantations. Incantations forced the runes that magic was made up of to pack tightly together and get shoved through a wand, which was pretty much used for directing. It was harsh and wrong; magic was supposed to flow through you, free to bind the way it wanted to get the job done. If you hastily packed it together, then the magic can't flow and the strength of the spell greatly diminishes.

Ignoring Professor Flitwick as he commented on Hermione's work, Harry lifted his hand and flicked it at his feather, watching as his magic flowed out of his fingers and lazily surrounded the feather, comfortably lifting it into the air and pausing as if asking 'Anything else?' Harry smiled at his swirling magic, pleased at the content feeling he was getting from it instead of the distressed feeling he was getting from everyone else's. Magic wasn't sentient, but as strange as it sounded you could still get vibes off of it.

Recalling his magic, Harry watched as his feather dropped as his magic released it and willing came back to him to settle comfortably in his core. He smiled; another thing you couldn't do with a wand. When it came down to it, he really didn't like wands.

The ringing of the bell brought him out of his thoughts. Tossing his books into his bag he flung it over his shoulder and walked with his friends out of the room, not really thinking it strange when Hermione remained behind to talk with Flickwick.

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The feast, much to Harry's horror, included nothing but candy. Desperately wishing for real food he mentally sighed and listened to Ron and Neville as they talked about how this was the best dinner they had ever had while he exchanged distraint glances with Draco, who was sitting next to him at the Gryffindor table (Ron and Neville were across from them). Suddenly Ron looked up.

"Where's Hermione?"

"Maybe she heard about the menu tonight and decided to ditch." Draco said poking at a Carmel apple as if it were going to eat him. "It's what I should have done."

"Actually, she's been in the girls bathroom all day, crying." a voice answered and Harry looked up to see Lavender Brown, one of the few Gryffindor's he could tolerate.

"Why?" Ron asked. Lavender shrugged.

"Don't know. She won't tell anyone."

Harry opened his mouth to question her further when he caught sight of his brother. Chase was practically smirking at him while he laughed with his friends, jeering about something and sending Harry's group smug looks. Harry felt his heart drop.

"Guys, we should go–"

Suddenly the Great Hall doors were thrown open, cutting Harry off as Professor Quirell ran in, obviously in a rush.

"Troll! In the dungeons! Troll in the dungeons!"

At this the hall went completely silent and the Headmaster stood. When Quirell reached the middle of the Hall he stopped and looked at the Headmaster before muttering "Thought you ought to know." and feinting. Forward.

Harry narrowed his eyes. People do not usually feint forward. They either just drop or fall backwards. Honestly, who was this guy trying to fool?

Harry's thoughts were cut off as the Great Hall erupted into chaos, making Harry wonder once again how intelligent wizards were. For instance, when something goes wrong, you don't _panic_, you remain _calm._ And, honestly, a troll? They were incredibly hard headed, and, frankly, stupid. Really nothing to worry about it you knew how to dodge.

Resting his head on his hand from his still seated position, Harry watched in mild amusement as the Headmaster slammed his hands on the table and yelled out a long "SILENT!" which promptly made everyone freeze where they were and made Harry raise an eyebrow; there had been a strong compulsion spell behind that word.

"Everyone will please, not panic." Dumbledore declared. "Prefects will lead their houses back to their dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons."

Harry once more felt a compulsion spell, this one a little milder as the students started in single file to exit the room. Easily getting out of his seat Harry spotted Draco's pure white hair and started toward it when a thought occurred to him; Hermione. Sure, he could fight a troll easily but she, on the other hand, could not.

Swiftly changing direction when he excited the hall, Harry expanded his mind, searching for the familiar light blue aura. Finding it a little ways away he started toward it, only to pause and instinctually fade into the shadows, listening as footsteps approached and mentally sighing when the owners of those footsteps came into view.

Chase and Seamus rounded the corner and took off down the hall, passing where Harry stood. Stepping out of the shadows Harry watched them as they rounded the other corner before sighing aloud; they were going the same direction he was. Rubbing his temples he started after them and toward Hermione's aura when suddenly another, but considerably dim, aura came into his radar. Right next to Hermione's, Chase's, and Seamus's.

His eyes widened a fraction before he shrugged off his robes and leapt into the air, his wings expanding from his back, tearing his shirt in the process. Not really caring at the moment Harry beat his wings and curled them, which promptly shot him down the hall and around the corner in a millisecond. Not really caring if anyone saw him Harry shot toward the closed double doors of the girls bathroom and, by bending the matter around his body for a brief moment, piloted straight through them without stopping.

What greeted him made his blood run cold. Chase laid sprawled on the floor in a puddle of blood unconscious, both of his legs twisted the wrong way and a bloody rib sticking out of his chest. A quick scan though showed that the broken bones and rib were the only things wrong; no vital organs had been hit. Though at the rate he was bleeding he would need medical attention soon.

Seamus wasn't faring any better. His left arm was completely shattered and it looked like a hip bone and a couple of ribs had been hit to. He, too, was unconscious.

Turning away from them Harry spotted Hermione, who appeared to be the only one unharmed. She was crouched under a sink at the far end of the room, sobs wracking her body. Seeing that she was okay, Harry turned his gaze toward the troll.

The thing was big, ugly, and bald, wearing simple clothing and caring a huge wooden club. Harry sighed and shook his head; of all creatures for them to be defeated by it had to be one of the slowest and dumbest. Oh yes, this spoke heaps of their intelligence.

Sighing, Harry swiftly moved aside as the club came crashing down where he had just been and waved his hand at it, adding weight to the club and making it too heavy for the troll to lift. Rubbing his temples Harry waved his hand again, increasing gravity 100 fold around the troll and making it slam into the ground with a sickening thud, promptly knocking it unconscious with it's own weight.

Pinching the bridge of his nose Harry sighed for the hundredth time that day and turned toward Hermione, who had come out from under the sinks and was looking at him with wide eyes.

"How did you do that?" she demanded in awe.

"Magic." Harry in exaggeration, causing her to blush.

"No, seriously. How did you do that? It just took two waves of your hand and that thing went down like a sack of potatoes. And you don't even have a wand! How?"

"Magic is incredibly simple, Hermione, if you know how it works. I merely increased the gravity around it and it's club causing it to go down like a rock. It's ridiculously simple to do, I'll have to show you how sometime."

"Without a wand?"

"Truthfully, that's the only way you really can do it."

"How–"

"Time to go." Harry said hastily, cutting her off. Before she could object he brought down his wings, which were still extracted and flitted over to her, swiftly picking her up bridal style and shooting up into the rafters. Landing on one of the higher ones Harry placed a shocked Hermione on her feet and wrapped the shadows around them, blending them in with the background. Hermione opened her mouth to say something but Harry hastily hushed her and pointed down. Obliging, she looked in time to see McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, Quirell, and Snape enter the room.

"Oh Merlin." the duo heard McGonagall murmur as she rushed to Chase's and Seamus's sides, running her wand over them. After a moment she sighed and waved the other teachers over just as Dumbledore and the Potters entered the room.

Harry watched in interest as Dumbledore took in the scene with a glance as the Potters rushed over to Chase, dropping to their knees beside him, Lily in tears. Dumbledore then walked slowly over to Chase and knelt beside him while placing his hand on Chase's forehead. Feeling the touch of Legimency, Harry expanded his own mind as well and stealthily attached it to Dumbledore's as the old coot dived into Chase's mind.

Harry watched as Dumbledore dragged up the scene out of Chase's mind and played it out before them. Harry observed from Chase's point of view as Quirell ran into the Great Hall shouting about a troll. How then Chase explained to Seamus how this was their chance to prove they were real Gryffindors and how they would get rewarded for taking down a troll and saving the school. How they then used the Marauders Map to locate the troll and had taken off after it. How they had rushed into the Girl's restroom shouting spells and watching in horror as they bounced off the trolls hide. How both Seamus and Chase got struck several times with the club until they lost consciousness (this all happening in a minute's time span).

By the end of it Harry was astounded with his brother's stupidity. Honestly, there was reckless and there was _brainless. _Everyone knew spells shot directly at a troll would rebound. That's why you used spells that manipulated the environment. How daft could you get.

He was also relieved, though, that Chase hadn't seen, noticed, or heard Hermione, which was a relief and saved him the trouble of making up an excuse of why she was not there.

Feeling Dumbledore retract Harry followed him and exited Chase's mind. Now back in his own he watched as Dumbledore stood and took out his wand, levitating both of the unconscious Gryffindors, and leaving the room, the teachers behind him. When Harry felt that their auras were a good distance away he picked up Hermione once more and flew to the ground. Landing he set her down and folded his wings, along with his arms, all the while watching as Hermione stared at him and waiting.

He didn't have to wait long.

"You... you have wings..."

"Yes."

"And... they're actually real..."

"Naturally."

"But...how?" Hermione finally stuttered, looking lost for the first time Harry had known her. Harry took pity on her.

"I'm not human." Harry said flatly, causing Hermione's head to snap up. "Well, at least not anymore. I'm a magical creature called a Lestran."

"A...Lestran? What... what is that?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't really know how to describe it. If you really want details though, I can try and contact Serafious. He knows all about it. But pretty much a Lestran is an Ancient, rare magical creature with the power of flight that... isn't really seen around anymore."

"You mean... you're the last of your kind?"

"I doubt it. I'm pretty sure they're around somewhere, probably avoiding the world because it's going to hell in a handbag."

"So Lestrans are just magical creatures that can... fly?"

"Not just fly. We can do all kinds of things. We can have multiple magical cores and are resistant to some types of spells, mostly ones that concern Death Magic. We are the guardians of the Elements and therefore possess the power to control them, which very few can do since the Elements are wildand untamed. Usually a Lestran has a connection with two specific elements, mine being Lightening and Ice. And we have severely powerful minds, ones that, when we reach a certain age, can keep out the most ancient of magical creatures. We can do some other things, but I can't remember."

"Wow." Hermione said. Then she looked up. "Is that why you were able to take down the troll?"

"No, I was using my wizard magic there."

"Wizard magic? You say it as if there are many types of magic."

"There is. For instance, I have three magical cores; Wizard Magic, Lestran Magic, and Elf Magic. I can use all three and they are all different from each other in many ways."

"Hmm..." Hermione murmured, one finger on her lip. The her eyes narrowed. "If you're a Lestran, how do you have wizard magic? And what do you mean you _used_ to be a human?"

Harry sighed. He knew this was coming some time. Running a hand through his hair Harry extended his arm and offered his hand toward Hermione. "Not here. The walls have ears."

Hermione nodded and took his hand. Picking her up, Harry brought down his wings, bolting into the air and (by bending the matter) straight through the ceiling and into the night sky.

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"So your real name is Harry Potter?"

"Yep."

"And your Lestran was awaken when you were hit with the killing curse You-Know-Who hit you with when you stepped in front of your brother."

"Yeah."

"And you were sent to the realm of the Elves where the Princess of the Elves took you in as her son."

"Uh huh."

"And you were raised by her and the oldest vampire in existence."

"Pretty much."

"That's a lot to take in." Hermione stated leaning back against the tree trunk and stretching her legs out on the branch of the tree they were currently residing on. Harry knelt on the branch a little ways away from her.

"I know, it does seem a little farfetched."

"No, actually it explains a lot." Hermione stated and glanced at the other treetops around them in the Forbidden Forest. "It explains why you're able to do all of these strange things, how your Lestran came into existence, and why you have Elf Magic. And..." Hermione suddenly trailed off before her head snapped toward him, her eyes wide.

"You're the real Boy-Who-Lived..."

Harry shrugged and shifted into a sitting position. "I suppose."

"Harry, do you know what this means?"

"Yeah, Dumbledore will be upset to find out that the weapon he has been perfecting over the years isn't even his real one, so then he will attempt to take control over my life. I don't know about you, but I like my life the way it is and I don't need the manipulative old coot meddling in it to make me his weapon. All for the 'greater good' of course."

Hermione opened her mouth to automatically defend the professor but a sidelong look from Harry shut her up. She then sighed and drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

"I didn't think of it that way. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"But... aren't we deceiving the wizarding world by keeping the truth from them?"

"No, there deceiving themselves." At the look Hermione sent him Harry raised his hands. "Think about it. Instead of solving their own problems, they're putting them on the shoulders of a child. If they had just had some backbone in the first place, we wouldn't be in this situation. Voldemort would have never risen to power and the prophecy would have never been made. When it comes down to it, it was their own cowardice and hate that created Voldemort and every other dark wizard out there. But instead of going out and solving the problems they themselves created, they're cowering behind an eleven year old. It's disgraceful and sick."

Hermione, by now, had been shocked into silence. Harry took this time to examine the area around them. They were currently in one of the highest trees deep with in the Forbidden Forest where no one could interrupt or disturb them. Harry had decided to tell Hermione his life's story, which had apparently taken a few hours; he could see that the sun was completely set, casting shadows across the lands. The only reason that Harry and Hermione weren't covered in complete darkness was that Harry had created a few Light Orbs earlier, the balls of white light floating around them and casting away all of the shadows.

"When you put it that way..." Hermione murmured softly, breaking the silence. She then looked back up. "You guys must think we're cowards, don't you? The magical creatures."

"To put it flatly, yes."

"But what can we do?" Hermione said wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Start taking responsibility. Starting with the new generation."

"But is there hope?"

"There's always hope. But you won't know until you try."

Hermione smiled and nodded.

"By the way, why were you crying in the bathroom in the first place?"

At that Hermione colored and looked away. "It's stupid."

"More then Chase brashly going against a troll?"

"No, not really." Hermione said and sighed. "Well, when I stayed after class to talk to Professor Flitwick Chase and his friends had been the last ones to leave. But when I walked out of the classroom, they were waiting for me. They told me how I was a show off and knew nothing about magic. How you guys were using me for my brains and that was the only reason you 'put up with me'. How I was worthless and a freak and a 'Mudblood'. I guess I kinda got upset because that's what the boys at my old school used to call me. Freak."

"There's nothing wrong with being smart." Harry said soothingly. "Chase is just jealous. And we're not friends with you because we pity you or want to use your brains; we got enough of our own. We're friends with you because we want to be. Because you're fun to be with and always make a conversation challenging. You always know the right things to say that can brighten up the darkest of days and you're fun to joke around with because you take nothing personal. You're neat and fun in a lot of ways and you're an excellent and loyal friend. Never doubt that."

"Thanks." Hermione said quietly with a small smile. Then she frowned and looked at her watch. Her eyes widened.

"We missed lights out! We're going to be in so much trouble!" Hermione shouted, springing to her feet. Which promptly caused her to loose her balance. Harry caught her and steadied her. Then he realized a problem; her mind was wide open. Any wizard skilled in Legimency could simply look into her mind and know everything. Thinking fast he dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a gold ring with silver ivy; a Ring of Eston.

"Here, put this on and never take it off." Harry said slipping it onto her finger. Hermione looked wide eyed at the ring.

"What is it?"

"It's one of the Thirteen Rings of Eston. You now officially have a telepathic connection with me, one you can access any time. The Ring also protects your mind from outside influence, so no one but the people you are connected to can access your mind. And only you or I can take it off, making it the perfect shield."

Hermione's eyes widened as she touched the ring, which sparkled in the light. She thenlooked up and nodded in thanks, though Harry could feel her gratitude through the newly formed link in his mind.

With a wave of his hand he extinguished the orbs and picked Hermione up. Then with one strong flap he shot into the air above the Forbidden Forest starting toward the castle.

The whistling of an arrow caught Harry's attention as it shot above him and pivoted back toward the ground. Shrugging, Harry dove toward the ground as well, slipping easily past the canopies and landing.

Hermione shot him a questioning glance before the rustling of bushes caught her attention and her eyes went wide as the creature stepped out of them.

Cobalt stepped out and brushed leaves from his shoulder before turning his gaze toward Harry and inclining his head. Harry returned the gesture and raised an eyebrow as another Centaur joined them.

This one was a light brown color with broad shoulder and light blue eyes. He, too, inclined his head toward Harry.

"Greetings, young Lestran." Cobalt stated formally. Harry nodded his head once more.

"Cobalt, it is good to see you again. What have the stars spoke now?"

"Nothing but riddles I'm afraid." Cobalt responded. "But there is uneasiness in the West. The Unicorn Tribe have lost a quite a few of their own as of lately."

"But who would want to hurt a Unicorn?" Hermione asked suddenly, causing her to blush when the centaurs turned their gazes onto her.

"That is why it is so troubling. Unicorns are undiluted creatures, made of light and purity. I fear that what ever is hunting them has no such intentions."

"I'll see what I can do." Harry responded before sending Cobalt a questioning look. Cobalt understood.

"Young Lestran, this is Firenze. Brother, this is Harry Halisio of the Elves."

Harry and Firenze both inclined their heads before Harry introduced to still shocked Hermione, who gave a small wave at the two amused centaurs, who nodded back. After a few more exchanges Harry and Hermione were back in the air, heading toward the castle. Hermione remained silent for a minute before sighing.

"I'll never really understand your life, will I?"

"Probably not."

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"Where were you last night? I couldn't find you anywhere when I got to the common room." Draco said as he slipped into the seat next to Harry at the Ravenclaw table. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances from across the table.

"Out."

"Out? With a troll wondering around?" Draco said raising an eyebrow.

"He was with me." Hermione said in a conversational tone. "When he heard about the troll he rushed to get me, but with all of the professors around, we couldn't really go to our common rooms with out getting caught, so we slipped outside for a while. Until the commotion settled down." She didn't mention that Harry had easily got them to their rooms; by phasing through the ceiling.

"Oh." Draco said digging in. Ron and Neville arrived a few minutes later. As soon as they sat down Ron opened his mouth.

"Did you guys hear? Chase and Seamus were in the hospital! Apparently, they had went after the troll, tried to go against it and got pummeled!"

"No surprise." Draco said stretching. "Those two would do anything for attention–"

"And then I knelt on the ground, blood all around me, and the troll looming over me. It, of course, wasn't in very good shape either, with chunks of it missing from my spells. But anyway, I couldn't move or get up and it was coming right at me, club raised, when I felt this strange feeling under my skin and the, suddenly... WAM! Magic exploded out of me and hit it in the chest, instantly knocking it to the floor. And that's when the teachers came in!" A voice sounded loudly from the table next to them and Harry rolled his eyes before turning around.

Chase sat at the Gryffindor table surrounded by wide eyed people. Harry clicked his tongue and glanced up at the Head table to see James and a few teachers beaming at Chase, Snape looking utterly disgusted, and Dumbledore watching the scene with twinkling eyes. Shaking his head, Harry turned back around and was immediately met with Hermione's gaze. He could feel her amusement through their mind link.

"He's seems to come up with the 'magic exploding out of him' theory a lot, doesn't he?" Hermione asked picking up an apple. Harry smirked.

"Of course, it's the only possibility he can come up with that makes him seem powerful and the story semi believable."

"We could always correct him."

"But that would be telling."

"Good point."

"What are you two on about?" Ron asked in confusion. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances and shrugged in union.

"Nothing."

"Nada."

"Okay." Draco said slowly. Then the Hall quieted as the Headmaster stood up beaming.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. As many of you have heard by now, our very own Chase Potter and Seamus Finnigan went against a fully grown mountain troll last night and won after a specular battle. This is such bravery that this school hasn't seen in years! So in reward for doing the school such a astonishing favor, I shall award Gryffindor house fifty points!"

At this the Gryffindor house exploded with cheers causing Harry to automatically cover his sensitive ears until it died down (it took a few minutes). The rest of the Hall had been shocked into silence by this announcement.

Draco's eyes went wide and he turned toward his friends. "He's awarding Potter points for being an attention seeker and almost getting himself killed. Can you believe that?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances once more before Harry rubbed his temples.

"You want to know the funny part? I actually can."

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There you go! Another update. You know that saying 'you can't please everyone'? I'm just now finding how true that is. But luckily some of my readers reminded me (thank you) that I don't have to have a pairing quite yet. So I guess I'll just keep writing and see where it develops from there.

Those of you that caught the comment about Lestrans being resistant to Death Magic, congrats. When Voldemort hit Harry with the killing curse, his Lestran protected him and reflected it. But since it wasn't fully awake at the time it only reflected most of it, some of it still got through and formed the mental connection between Harry and Voldemort.

_Thanks for reading, and please review. I absolutely love hearing from you guys, especially when you leave long reviews. It's interesting to see some of your ideas. _


	13. Visions of the past

Rain pounded on the grounds and walls outside of the dungeons. Other then that, quiet rained in the first year dorms, the only other sound being the even breathing of the young boys as they dreamed. Until a strange thud sounded through out the room, causing Rowan to sleepily twitch her ears and raise her head, giving a toothy yawn.

Now semi awake, Rowan looked around the room, her eyes easily penetrating through the dark. Nearly dismissing the sound, Rowan went to curl up when a sharp movement caught her eye and she looked up to see the end of something inch out of the door. A glance at the pillow on the bed confirmed her theory and she stood and stretched, now completely awake and curious.

Quietly pussy-footing off the bed and onto the ground so she wouldn't awake the other occupants in the bed, Rowan stretched and yawned again before padding to the door and pushing it open using her nose. Once out in the 'Common Room' as her kit called it, Rowan spotted the long, dark shape and followed it out of the room and into the cold, empty halls.

Fluffing up her fir to keep out the chill, Rowan spread her wings and shot into the air, following the rapidly moving figure down the hall and up a few moving staircases until they reached the third floor. Now really curious she watched as the figure paused, raised its head, and stilled for a minute before bringing it down and moving again.

Right into what Rowan identified as a 'Bathroom'.

Slipping in after the figure, Rowan watched as it paused before the circular sink in the middle of the room before she swooped down and landed quietly on the white tiles behind it, folding her wings.

"Whatcha doin'?"

At the sudden sound the figure swung around, hood flaring as it started hissing. But at the sight of her board expression the serpent calmed, the hood folding once more.

_~Nothing, just trying to figure out something. ~_ Ebony answered, giving her a disapproving look before turning back toward the sink.

"Trying to figure out what?"

_~Something~_

"In the middle of the night?" Rowan asked, sounding unconvinced. Ebony shot her an annoyed look.

_~Do you not smell it, sense it? ~_

Rowan sniffed the air for a minute before crunching her nose. "The only thing I smell is the reason I do my business outside."

Ebony made an irritated sound before slithering closer to the sink and raising himself to look inside it. _~There is the scent of another serpent here, but every time I try to trace it, it always stops at this forsaken sink. ~_

Rowan now looked at the sink in interest. "Any idea what kind of serpent it is?"

At that Ebony shook his head and lowered himself back to the floor, looking annoyed.

_~None.~_

Rowan looked at him in amusement. "And it's driving you crazy, isn't it?"

The disgruntled look he sent her answered her question.

Ebony pulled himself away from the sink and faced her. _~Come, Feline, let us return to the young Lestran. ~ _At her nod they left the bathroom.

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Ebony trailed down the hall, well aware of the young feline flying above him. He had to give her props, he hadn't even sensed her at all the first time, and wouldn't have if she hadn't exposed herself to him. The cat had the potential to becoming an excellent predator when she got older, if her stealth was anything to go by.

Which brought him back to the reason he was out in the first place. That other serpent's presence was really starting to bother him, even if it hadn't been in the school for a long time. But something kept telling him there was something wrong with the scent, something not right about it. And it certainly wasn't helping that he couldn't find any evidence that the serpent had left. All trails he had ever picked up lead to that damn sink.

Turning the corner, a sharp moment caught his attention and he quickly stilled. From the sudden disappearance of the cat's presence, he bet she had heard it too and cloaked herself.

Ebony watched in subtle interest as a human walked down the hall, staggering. The serpent briefly wondered if the human was drunk when his tongue flicked out and tasted iron.

Blood.

Now interested he stealthily moved outside of the light the human was casting using a 'wand' and watched as the human walked by him, not even noticing the large snake. Mentally blinking, Ebony looked the way the human had come and flicked his tongue again. The human had left a scent trail of blood behind.

Tilting his head slightly, a habit he had picked up from the humans and his other companions, Ebony continued to look down the hall as Rowan suddenly landed beside him.

"I recognized that human. Well, he's not really a human since he has a little vampire blood in him I suppose, but that was one of the kit's teachers. 'Snape' I believe."

_~Yet, what was he doing out at this time of night? And bleeding no less? ~_

Rowan ruffled her wings. "Why don't we find out?" she said before shooting into the air and darting down the hall in the direction the 'human' had come. Flicking his tongue again, Ebony mentally sighed before following the devious feline.

By the time he had caught up to her, Rowan was waiting for him by the entrance of one of the halls on the third floor. At his inquiring look she shrugging.

"This was the place the old coot told everyone to stay away from at the beginning of the term, remember? Interesting that the scent of blood should lead us here."

Ebony absentmindedly nodded as he and his furry companion entered the hall and started down it. Noticing the statues and dust (which, for some reason, wasn't natural but gave the hall a foreboding feeling) Ebony and Rowan traveled down the hall before coming to a stop in front of a large oak door.

_~Interesting~_ Ebony said as her scented the air. The scent of blood lead straight through the door. Then with a flick of his tail he turned toward Rowan and gave a slight tilt of his head.

_~Ladies first~_

"You're funny." Rowan snapped, her tail twitching along with her whiskers. He couldn't blame her; cats had a better sense of smell then snakes, so she was probably getting full blast of the scent of blood. Which gave her a good reason not to enter a room where a possible predator was.

He gave her an amused look all the same. _~It wasn't meant to sound offending, feline. It's just that _I_ can't open the door, for the knob is fit beyond my reach.~_

The young kit gave him a disgruntled look, but raised her wings all the same, prepared to lift up the ring that lockedthe door–  
When suddenly voices and foot steps sounded down the corridor.

Rowan and Ebony exchanged a look before Rowan shot into the air and Ebony slithered behind a statue, peaking out as a group of humans came into view. But as they came into view, he shook his head.

"Why are we here again?" an annoyed voice asked.

"To find out what's behind the door of course." Another voice answered. If Ebony could roll his eyes, he would have; of course the 'attention seeker', as Harry's nest mates had referred to him, would be here.

Well, at least that solved his and Rowan's problem on who would go in first; they would just let the humans lead the way.

"I don't like this." One of the female humans said, putting her arms around herself. Her other four companions looked at her, but the dark skinned one that Ebony remembered Harry referring to as Dean looked like he agreed with her.

"Oh, come on Lavender, don't be a wuss." Chase said as he examined the door as if it were a complicated puzzle. Ebony mentally rolled his eyes.

Personally, he didn't understand why his young Lestran considered this human to be any kind of a rival; the boy seemed dumber then a stick to him. And not that powerful at all, in _any_ type magic or skill. Unless running your mouth or getting yourself into dangerous situations was a skill. Hmm, he would have to ask his nestling.

Finally giving up on the door Chase grabs the handle and pulls; only to find out it was locked.

Idiot. Of course it was locked. What did he think his teachers were, stupid? Of course they would lock a door if there were something dangerous behind it. The only reason he and Rowan could possible get through it was because they were magical creatures; magical wizard enchantments such as locking spells couldn't detect them, therefore didn't block them if they wanted to open the door. Most enchantments were used for wizards, not magical creatures.

After finding that the door wouldn't open, Chase turned toward his friends. "Do any of you know the unlocking spell?"

One of the wizards, whom Ebony briefly identified as Seamus Finnigan, stepped forward and took out his wand. He then pointed his wand at the door.

"Alohamora." He said clearly and Ebony resisted the urge to cringe. Could he have been any louder?

But apparently the incantation worked, for there was a resounding click, the door swung open and the group of five slipped in, leaving the door slightly ajar. Leaving his hiding place Ebony slipped through the door after them, briefly identifying Rowan as she flew in from above.

Once inside the first thing Ebony noticed was that they were in a large, spacious room. The second thing he noticed was that the room was full of light, calming music. The third thing he noticed, which was probably the first thing the humans had noticed because they were frozen and staring at it, was a giant three headed dog laying in the middle of the room, fast asleep.

Now really curious about what was going on, Ebony raised his head and flicked his tongue into the air. Only to recoil and glare at the harp playing in the corner. Figures that_ he_ would be behind this.

Ebony watched as the humans slowly back away from the peacefully sleeping Cerberus before hurriedly rushing out of the room, foolishly leaving the door slightly open once more in their rush. Ebony looked up at the rafters and gave a nod toward them, knowing full well the feline could see him, before promptly turning and leaving the room.

Slithering out the door, he waited until Rowan flew out of the room before closing it with his tail, the lock snapping into place on the impact. After a moment Rowan landed beside him and started to lick her paw.

"Well, that was interesting." She said glancing at him over her handy work.

_~It also explains a lot. ~_ At her questioning look he elaborated. _~It explains why that Snape was out of bed in the first place; he set up the harp so that it would be playing and the brats would be safe when they came in, but got bitten in the process.~_

"But why would he do that? And how could he possibly know they would be coming tonight?"

~He_ didn't. But now I'm curious as to why the they wanted to show Chase the dog and as to why Dumbledore's scent and magic was all over that boy and that room.~_

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"So you're saying Dumbledore planned with Snape to make the Cerberus sleep so Chase could see it?" Harry asked as he leaned back against the tree trunk, watching his two familiars in the early morning light.

_~From the looks of it. I'm betting Dumbledore did something to spark Chase's curiosity and_ _lure him there to find the Cerberus, but didn't want him to get hurt so he sent Snape ahead with the harp to put the canine asleep.~ _Ebony explained, coiling in the sunlight to get warm.

"But now the question is; why would he want Chase to know about it?" Rowan said from her place curled in Harry's lap. Harry sighed and looked across the glistening lake a little ways away from them, before repressing a shudder and turning away. He hated that lake.

"When the others and I first saw the Cerberus, Hermione pointed out that it was standing on a trap door. I'm betting Dumbledore wanted Chase to notice that and go get what ever the Cerberus is guarding."

"But why?" Rowan said raising her head. "If it's protected, why would he want Chase to get it?"

Harry shook his head. "There's no telling with that manipulative old coot. I can never get a good reading on him or his intentions, and his mind is as closed as my own. Serafious could probably get through it, but I'm not that strong. So who knows what he is planning."

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"Good luck on the game today."

Harry blinked and turned toward his Potions professor. Giving the young vampire a nod he glanced down at the man's legs as he walked away.

Snape was limping.

With that confirmed he turned back to his food, briefly reaching over to ruffle Rowan's fur when she had looked at him knowingly.

"So, what do you think will happen today?" Ron said, leaning back. Draco turned toward him and a slow smile came over his lips.

"Gryffindor will be completely and utterly slaughtered, of course."

Ron shot him a look before huffing and turning back toward Harry. "So, what broom are you going to use?"

It was Harry's turn to smile. "It's a surprise." he said simply. Yesterday he had visited Madam Hooch to check with her to see if he could use the broom Kiryan had given him from her Father's vault. Needless to say the flying professor had gone haywire over the broom, checking out every detail and demanding for him to tell her where he had gotten it. He smiled fondly at the memory of her stricken face when he had told her that it was one of the first and only brooms made by the legendary Sebastian and was the only one of its kind. He also remembered her reply when he asked if he could use it for Quiditch; she looked like she would have hit him if he had asked to use it for anything _other._

"Aw, man! Are you sure you can't tell us, mate?" Ron asked. Harry smiled at his friend and shook his head, causing Ron to slouch. Hermione looked over at him from over the top of her newspaper.

"What is the big deal about what kind of broom it is? If it's in good shape and can fly isn't that good enough?" She said. Then blinked at the horrified looks every one besides Harry were giving her. "What?"

"You pretty much just said that _any _broom would be good for Quiditch." Ron said in a shocked voice. Hermione looked at him disapprovingly.

"Your point?"

"You obviously do not understand the delicate art that is Quiditch. You just don't use _any_ broom! Only specific brooms can meet the requirements! You just can't substitute in any broom!"

Ron huffed and turned toward the others for assistance; only to find none. At the moment Harry found the ceiling to be _very _interesting, Neville was biting his lip, and Draco was looking with extreme amusement between Ron and Hermione. After a moment Hermione clicked her tongue and set down her newspaper before resting her chin on the palm of her hand and sighing.

"I need female friends."

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The noise was the first thing that reached his delicate senses. The sudden light was the next.

Harry squinted and winced as the noise of screaming grew louder the closer they got to the light. Tuning down both his hearing and eyesight, he put an extra dimming shield around both, just in case. But as they mounted their brooms and shot in the arena of the Quiditch pitch Harry found he had to strengthen both shields on his senses.

Along with place a shield over his smelling sense. Who knew so many scents in one area, especially one of sweat, could be so overwhelming. The air felt good flowing over him though, so at least he didn't have to dim that sense.

Flying around the pitch on Sebastian's broom attracted a lot of attention, causing a lot of people to shout and point. But Harry found he didn't really care; the broom felt warm under his hands and moved with a type of serpentine grace through the air. Also, Harry had found out a very interesting fact that morning when he had been practicing with the team; the broom was like Merlin's Staff. It was slightly sentient and could read his thoughts, not to mention responded to them as fast as he could think them. It was a rather interesting experience, especially since the broom recognized a Bludger a mile away and tended to avoid them instinctively, with out his guidance.

Maneuvering the broom to hover over Flint as he and the Gryffindor Captain, Oliver Wood, shook hands, Harry looked up at the rival Seeker.

Only to stare.

Chase hovered a little ways away from him, looking like Christmas had come early, a Nimbus 2000 beneath him. Harry's hands on the brooms handle tightened with his shock and he felt a pulse of heat run from the broom, up his arm, and into him, instantly calming him. Mentally thanking the broom for the reassurance, Harry felt another pulse before the broom went back to a dull thrum. Letting out a brief smile, Harry mentally reached and calmed the Merlin's Staff, which had apparently felt the pulse and was wondering what was wrong. He had shrunken the Staff earlier this morning and strapped it to his hip before the game; there was no way he was going anywhere with out that calming and powerful presence.

Looking bored at the evil looks Chase was giving him, Harry wondered how Chase was still on his broom. Only to have that answered when the shimmer of an incantation's aura appeared briefly when Chase , so they would put Chase on the team even though he couldn't ride a broom to save his life. Harry sensed Dumbledore's and James's hand in this. And a brief glance at the sour expression on his Head of House's face confirmed his theory.

He shot away from the main group as soon as Madam Hooch set the terms and blew the whistle while throwing up the Quaffle. Glancing down, he slowly lifted his shield on his eyes, allowing them to focus.

And almost immediately, he found the Snitch, the spark of gold racing a circle around the players as they shot across the field. No one seemed to notice this besides him, so he wasn't too worried about it and turned away to watch the game. With his own eyesight and the one he inherited from his Lestran for hunting, finding a little gold ball would not be that difficult.

By the end of the third quarter, Harry was furious with his team. Honestly, did they not listen to Madam Hooch? This was supposed to be a clean game. So by the time Flint took one of the Beaters bats and knocked Wood through his own ring, Harry was seriously considering catching the Snitch and discreetly giving it to Chase.

Sighing and figuring he might as well end Gryffindor's misery, Harry leaned out of the position above the area that he had taken since the beginning of the game. Dipping into field Harry began circling the arena as he had seen his brother doing the entire game and almost immediately saw the Snitch near the Gryffindor goal posts. Looking discreet, he started toward them when several gasps from the crowd caught his attention. Harry turned his broom and stared.

A little ways away from him, Chase was being tossed around feverishly by his broom, which at the moment was making a perfect impression of a bull. Hoping that the incantation that held Chase to the broom would hold. Harry mentally called out to Kestrel was he shot to where Chase was. Once there, he dropped so that he was below him and expanded his mind and switching to Other sight, searching for the culprit. Upon finding the rope of runes around Chase Harry followed it.

Straight to Quirell.

Harry mentally sighed and briefly glanced at Snape, who looked like he was trying his hardest to break the spell. Figuring that Snape wasn't making good enough time and that Chase would fall before he was finished, Harry, for once, wished that Dumbledore was here before opening his mind and touching the runes.

Only to recoil in shock.

These were not the type of runes a human would use, so no wonder Snape was having such a hard time. These runes were on a different level altogether then Wizard Magic. Or any kind of Light Magic really.

In fact, they felt more like the kind of runes Serafious used.

Now really confused, Harry mentally took a slow step forward and touched the runes again, trying to get rid of the feeling of dread. Lightly touching one, Harry resisted the urge to recoil again.

The magic on the runes was Black Magic.

No wizard could wield Black Magic, it was simply impossible. Hell, _he_couldn't even wield it, and he was of an ancient race of Magical Creatures. Black magic was one of the three most powerful forms of magic, the other two being White Magic and Ancient magic.

The power of magic was based off of a scale of five levels; the lowest strength of magic was the level of Artis, where Light Magic, followed swiftly by Dark Magic, resided. This level was where Wizards commonly resided since they didn't have the power to climb any higher.

The next level Catis; this level contained Powers of the Mind, such as the magics to possess, control, manipulate, shield, and read minds. Some wizards, such as Dumbledore, had reached this level.

Next was Martis, this level containing 'wand less and wordless' magic that was controlled by will, such as Elemental magic, 'String' magic (used to string runes together to form shields and stuff), Empathy, and a few others. This was the level where most magical creatures reached and stopped.

The fourth level was Baratis, which was made up of Necromancy, Soul Magic, and Blood magic. Not many could reach this level since the trio of powers that resided in it were deadly; the slightest mistake while performing any of the three would automatically cause you your life.

And last but not least the most powerful level; Nexis.

Nexis contained the three most powerful magics; Black Magic, White Magic, and Ancient Magic. It was considerably rare for anyone to reach this level, but Harry knew a few people who could, such as Serafious, Lord Kaden, Kiryan, and a few other Elders and Ancients. These magics were wild and dangerous, even more so then the magics in Baratis. Few people had the power and mental strength to wield such magic, and certainly a human could not. The magic would rip through their weak mind as soon as it came in contact with it, not to mention they had to have climbed through and mastered the other four levels to reach it. No human could do that.

Now thoroughly confused, Harry tried to ease away from the Black Magic so it wouldn't rip through _his _mind and lightly tapped it; only to find that the Black Magic wasn't even the magic being used. Apparently, the user had cast a regular spell, but was so proficient in Black Magic that the Magic had automatically latch on for the ride. Which meant that the individual was so powerful that using the powers of Nexis came naturally to them.

Harry jerked away and swung his head toward Quirell; only to meet amused scarlet eyes. Harry froze before trying to turn away, only to find he couldn't. The next thing he knew, something slammed against his mental shields and he repressed a shout of agony as they shattered. Instantly, another presence filled his mind.

_"Harry Potter, so meet again." _A dark, velvety voice filled his head. Harry mentally gasped; and he thought his Voice Magics were strong. He had _nothing _on this guy. His voice sounded smooth and musical, like water running over rock, and Harry got the feeling that the owner of that voice could have someone kill themselves just by telling them to. _No one _could defy that voice.

It also didn't help that even the voice had Black Magic laced in it.

Swallowing to try to moisten his suddenly dry throat, Harry tried to pull back from the dark, powerful presence filling his mind _"What do you want?"_

Hearing a mental chuckle, Harry suddenly became confused. What was going on? This was not the same man that had tried to kill him seven years ago; this one was a lot more powerful then that human had been. What had changed?

Apparently, Voldemort had been reading his thoughts, for another laugh filled his mind.

_"Quite perceptive of you, Little Serpent. And you are quite right; I am not as weak as I used to be."_

_"How?"_

_"Let's just say my 'death' awoke a part of my Inheritance I was not aware of. It seems it did the same for you as well."_

Harry mentally shifted uncomfortably, not used to having his mind so open to someone before. Then a thought struck him.

_"If you know it was me you hit with the curse that night, why aren't you trying to kill me?"_

_"You? Why would I try to kill you? It would be such a waste of so much potential.""If your curse rebounded on me, doesn't that make me the Chosen One?"_

_"I suppose it does."_

_"Doesn't that make me the only one able to destroy you?"_

_"More or less."_

_"Then I repeat; why aren't you trying to kill me?"_

Harry sensed amusement coming from the presence once more.

_"Little Serpent, haven't you even listened to the Prophesy?"_

_"No, have you?"_

_"Of course, though the manipulative old coot doesn't know it. The Prophesy merely states that the one with the _power _to defeat me approaches, not that he would actually choose to."_

_"But why take the risk?"_

A laugh answered him_. "Are you in a rush to die?"_

_"No."_

_"Then stop worrying, my Little Serpent."_

Harry was now officially confused. _"If you know I'm the Chosen One, then why are you attacking Chase?"_

_"Do I need a reason?"_

Harry mentally blinked before swearing. He had almost forgot to whom he was speaking to. Voldemort was devious and malicious, not to mention apparently 100 times more powerful then he used to be. Especially since he apparently had access to the Nexis level. Voldemort could probably kill everyone in this entire arenain a blink of an eye if he wanted to.

_"If you know who I am and yet do not want to kill me, then I repeat my first question; what do you want?"_

_"At the moment or in general?" _Voldemort asked in an amused voice. Harry got the feeling he was playing with him.

_"Um, both?"_

_"In general, revenge and power. At the moment, you."_

Harry recoiled. _"Me?"_

_"You seem surprised."_

_"Of course I am. What would you want with me?"_

_"Isn't it obvious?"_

Harry paused for a moment. Then it hit him. _"I would never join you. I'm not interested in _your _kind of magic."_

Harry nearly jumped when he felt a touch equivalent to a mental caress in his mind.

_"And what is my kind of magic, my Little Serpent?"_

Harry took a mental step back and remained silent. Voldemort laughed.

_"No matter. Just know this; I always get what I want. So you _will _join me. Willingly or not."_

The presence suddenly flared for a moment, overwhelming Harry and, to his horror and confusion, caressing his Inner Mind before it suddenly vanished, leaving Harryto shakily grip his broom. _Never _had anyone been able to reach past his eternal barrier to touch his Inner Mind. Even if it had been a brief touch, it still shocked the heck out of him.

Your Inner Mind was the most important part of your being. It was where your magical core (or cores) resided and it was what connected them to everything else. It was where your very essence, your very being resided. It was also the most heavily protected part of your body, no matter what. If Voldemort was able to easily get through all of his powerful defenses and touch it, who knew how powerful Voldemort _really _was.

Coming to, Harry realized that what seemed like an eternity in his mind was actually brief seconds in the real world. Chase's broom was still going haywire and it looked like he was going to fall off of it any moment from the mental encounter, Harry hesitantly reached for the runes again. To his surprise, the runes pulsed and the Black Magic vanished.

Then a voice sounded, much to his horror, directly into his Inner Mind _'A parting gift.'_ before the runes snapped and crumbled under his mental fingers. Jerking back, Harry had just enough time a catch Chase as he plummeted toward him.

Harry sat there on his broom in horror, Chase unconscious in his arms, shaking, now realizing why Voldemort had touched his Inner Mind.  
He had formed a direct link between them.

A link that would give him power. Harry was well aware of the first link between them, the one connected to his scar. But that link was in his outer mind and could be easily closed off. This new link couldn't be destroyed or shielded with out damaging his Inner Mind. And that was the last thing you would want to do. Which was why Voldemort had probably done it; there was no way Harry could close him out.

'Well.' Harry thought looking down at his brother as Chase's team mates rushed toward him. 'At least he doesn't have to force past or break down my mental shields every time he wants to contact me now.'

Still lost in his thoughts, Harry didn't even notice the small gold little ball until it buzzed in front of his face and his hand automatically shot out and caught it to get it out of the way, promptly causing half the stadium to erupt in cheers.

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"He completely _shattered _your mental shields?" Rowan asked looking at him in astonishment. "I didn't even know that was possible."

"It's possible all right, and it took me hours to rebuild them." Harry said raising his hand to his head and rubbing it. "Something tells me we are in way over our heads here. I think that Voldemort is concealing histrue power for some reason. And it seems to me that he is merely playing with Dumbledore and the others."

"Or he truly doesn't have the power to get what he wants." Stephano said from to place in the shade beside Harry under the tree. Harry gave him a skeptical look.

"Not powerful enough? Were you listening? The man can control _Black Magic. _What part of that did not get through?"

Stephano gave him an amused look. "And you have to remember that no matter how powerful this being is, he still doesn't have a body of his own, therefore his power is limited."

Harry blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that even if this man is the most powerful being on earth, his strength and power is still limited without him having a physical form. The power you felt is the power that he _has, _not the power he can _use._ As long as he is without a physical form, he is vulnerable to all physical attacks, but can attack mentally, hence your shields. But even that, without a body, is limited and possibly weakened him greatly. That's why he needs a servant, preferably one with magic so he can base his own magic off of a core. With out a servant with a magical core, he's powerless because his magic needs something to connect to." Stephano stated

Harry raised an eyebrow while Rowan stared at him, Kestrel chirped in amusement, andEbony watched in mild interest.

"Since when have you become such an expert?" Rowan asked suspiciously. Stephano gave her an amused look.

"I read."

"It does explain a lot though." Harry said uncrossing his legs and stretching. "And it makes things a lot easier. Since he's attached to Quirell's core, he's limited to what Quirell can do. That also means he can't directly use Black Magic without destroying Quirell's mind and core. This can work in our favor."

"It also explains why he hasn't got to what ever Dumbledore is hiding yet." Rowan put in.

_~And it also brings up the question on _what _Dumbledore is hiding. ~ _Ebony added.

"Well, what ever it is, I'm betting it can some how give Voldemort a body. When he was talking to me, he said he wanted power and revenge. In order to achieve this, he needs his body."

_~If he's as powerful as you say he is, we must make sure he does not get what he seeks. If he does, it will not only be the wizarding world he will be after.~_

Rowan stood up and placed a paw on his knee, gaining his attention. "From what you felt, do you think he is powerful enough to defeat you?"

"From what I felt, I'm pretty sure he's powerful enough to give _Serafious_ a run for his money." Harry said shuddering. Stephano looked up. Out of all his familiars, Stephano was the only one that had actually met Serafious.

"Then we must not let him get what he is after."

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The room was dark and quiet with a silent wind streaming in through the open window and into the large room, over many pieces of velvet, leather, and wood furniture before subtly swaying the satin blanket on top of a large king sized bed in the middle of the room. After a moment, a pair of exotic amethyst eyes opened.

Serafious slowly sat up and climbed out of bed, letting his hand linger on the form laying next to him. He smiled as he watched Kiryan curl up in the warm spot he had left, sighing in content. Silently watching over to the wardrobe, he pulled out a simple black outfit and put it on before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Pacing down a long hall, he stopped in front of a wooden door and walked in. The room was simply furnished with couches and tables placed around it with a large white olive wood desk placed at the other end of the room facing the door. Serafious walked into his study and crossed the room to his desk, placing one of his hands on the desk top and giving the other a slight wave before taking a seat in a sleek leather chair. Immediately, a glass of red wine appeared on his desk.

Truth be told, he hadn't been able to sleep very well lately. It was as if his senses were on high alert for some reason and were trying to tell him something. At first, Serafious thought he was just being paranoid, but now something was really nagging at him.

His first instinct was that Harry was in trouble. He had raised the young Lestran with Kiryan ever since Harry had come here, and loved him like a son. He had always known when something was wrong with his child, but for some reason that wasn't the stem of his paranoia. If only he could figure out the root.

Shuffling some papers on his desk for a moment, Serafious sighed and leaned back, rubbing his temples.

"Busy as always I see."Serafious stiffened, cutting off his thoughts. Oh, he would know that voice anywhere. Even though he hadn't heard it in fifty years.

"As always. But, you know that better then anyone don't you Obsidian?" Serafious said without turning. He heard a dark chuckle behind him.

"Naturally. After all, I am the only one who truly knows you, am I not?"

Pushing his chair back Serafious stood and picked up the glass of wine on his desk. Slowly taking a sip, he turned around.

A patch of pitch black darkness was gathered a little ways away from him, swerving and convulsing in the middle of the room. As he watched it gathered together, becoming a solid human sized shape. Then crimson light appeared on the floor and traveled up the figure, it taking form as the light went up until a man stood where the darkness used to be, his eyes closed.

He looked just as Serafious remembered. Tall and broad shouldered, features sculptured perfectly, as if someone had carved him out of marble. Long pitch black hair flowing around him as if being pulled by an invisible breeze, the tips tainted red, and unblemished ivory skin. Then he opened his eyes and Serafious stiffened in recognition. Two twin flames stared back at him, the iris an astonishing cerulean near the pupil before blending into an exotic orange toward the outside.

Like the core of a flame.

"Why Angelus, it's good to see you again. What has it been; thirty, forty years?"

"Fifty."

"That long huh? Of course, one would lose track of time if they had been in a position such as mine." The man stated covering the distance between them until they were two meters apart. "Naturally, you would know all about that since you where the one who trapped me there."

"You sound hurt, Obsidian." Serafious stated, absentmindedly taking a sip of his drink as Obsidian scoffed. "Speaking of which, how did you get out?"

At that Obsidian smirked and sent Serafious a side long glance. "That would be telling."

"Which is something you are so good at."

Obsidian hummed as he looked around, his eyes settling on the picture on the table beside him before looked up again. "You know, I always found your name ironic, Angelus. After all, 'Angelus Mortis' means 'Angel of Death'– "

"Get to the point, Obsidian; why are you here?"

"Is that the way you treat an old friend, one who has traveled so far just to see you?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"Straight to the point. I can do that." Obsidian stated, straightening. "The reason I am here is simple; Revenge."

Serafious snorted. "Typical. Of course, then again I could expect nothing less from you."

"So, I hear you have a good life here." Obsidian stated off handedly, changing the subject once more. He then glanced back at the picture on the table. "Tell me, is it worth everything you gave up?"

"You state that as if I _had_ given up something."

"Touché" Obsidian said smirking. "Then again, _I _could expect nothing less from someone who threw away their entire life for a fruitless dream– "

"I fell in love–"

"So I've heard." Obsidian cut him off. "Tell me, was she worth it?"

"Every minute."

"My, how you have fallen."

Serafious remained silent. Obsidian smirked again before his expression suddenly became serious."You destroyed my life." Obsidian stated flatly. Reaching down he picked up the picture he had been looking at a minute before. Staring at it, he looked up and smiled. "So I'm going to return the favor. By taking away everyone who's ever meant anything to you."

"Don't take them lightly, Obsidian. They won't come to you willingly and they are very strong willed."

"You say that as if you are confident."

"I am."

"We shall see." Obsidian stated smiling. Then suddenly the shadows seemed to come to life, wrapping themselves around him and sending gusts of air around the room, whipping Serafious's hair around as him.

"And when they are mine, you shall suffer the same fate I did."

With that Obsidian's body and presence vanished, the picture he had been holding falling to the floor and shattering on impact.

Serafious stayed rooted in the spot, gazing upon the broken picture on the floor. With in it was him and Kiryan standing in front of the Palace, a ten year old Harry laughing in Kiryan's arms.

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Wow, that took for ever to wright. And sorry to hit you with that all at once, I just had to get that off my chest. And don't worry, you'll find out who Obsidian is soon enough. And how he ties in with Voldemort. Trust me, the irony is worth waiting for. Poor Harry, everyone is after him. I am so mean. Anyway, R&R, I would love to know what you think so far and any ideas you might have, your reviews are always so refreshing after typing a chapter.

SCE


	14. Ron

Hey guys, here's another chapter for you. But before we get started, I wanted to clear a couple of things up. (I seem to be doing that a lot lately.)

Yes, I did make Voldemort suddenly really powerful, but it kind of had to happen to go with the story. Like Harry, Voldemort's inheritance awoke the night his body was destroyed. But if you remember, I also mentioned that as long as he doesn't have a body, his power is limited to that of his servant's, so the power Harry felt, including the Black Magic, can't be used until he has his own body, which, as we all know, doesn't happen until Harry's fourth year. And even then he's not as powerful as Serafious, Obsidian, Lord Kaden, or any of the other Ancients or Elders because they not only have vast amounts of power, they have had years to perfect it. So he would definitely loose against one of them. And as you recall, Harry said Voldemort could give Serafious a run for his money, not that he would win. Voldemort's power is wild and untamed while Serafious has full control over his.

Yes, Voldemort did break through Harry's shields rather easily (but I also mentioned it drained him to establish the link and break the shields because Quirell's power is not that great), but you also have to remember that even if Harry is a Lestran and pretty powerful, he is also only eleven. So he can't really fight someone like Voldemort yet. The only reason his is pretty powerful now is because of who raised him, where he was raised, and his Lestran's powers. Also, no, Harry would not be able to defeat Dumbledore if he tried because his power is not that mature yet. However, normal wizards like James and so on, he could defeat because they are only on the Artis (First level) of power while he is near Martis (Third level). And no, Harry isn't even close to the Nexis level and the magics of that level would possibly tear apart his mind. Harry still needs to master the Martis and Baratis levels before reaching that one, and since the Baratis level is the deadliest besides Nexis, he won't reach that level for a _long _time.

And just in case you are wondering, no, Voldemort has not mastered the other four levels before Nexis. He just has access to Black Magic (And only Black Magic, not White or Ancient) because the creatures that are his inheritance are naturals with Black Magic, being the creatures that created it, so using it comes as naturally to them as breathing. You'll find out what they are soon enough.

Anyway, just wanted to clear that up. Now onto the story.

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_"So to sum it up, Dumbledore's hiding something that will give Voldemort his body back, which then gives him access to all his new found powers so he can wreck havoc on the Wizarding World."_

_"Yeah."_ Harry said while pushing against the floor to perform another push up. Vince remained silent for a minute before Harry picked up a mental sigh.

_"Based on what you felt, do you believe this guy could be a threat to the other Worlds besides the Wizarding one?"_

Harry paused in mid-push up before continuing. _"Probably not. His magic felt kind of wild, so he would have to seriously tame it before he became any kind of threat to the other Worlds. But the Wizarding World, on the other hand, is screwed. They don't have the natural shields or defences against wild magic like magical creatures do, so he could probably do them in rather easily. The only challenge he would probably get from them is Dumbledore."_

_"I find a certain fact troubling though. You said he could use Black Magic, correct?"_

_"I said I _felt_ Black Magic around his. I have no idea if he can actually _use_ it."_

_"It's still a troubling discovery, though. And there might be more to this 'Voldemort' then we previously anticipated."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"There's only one type of being that Black Magic comes naturally to and trust me, they are not the type of creatures you want to tangle with."_

_"He said that he came into his inheritance the night he lost his body."_

_"I have no doubt that he did, especially from what you told me. Just promise me one thing until we figure this out."_

_"What?"_

_"Do everything in you power to make sure he does not get his body back."_

_00_

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"So, what are we going to do today?" Rowan asked licking her paws and spreading her wings, catching the slight breeze as it flowed by them. Harry, Hermione (who was touching Harry's wrist so she could understand), and Stephano all looked at her in unison before Harry sighed and turned his head to look back at the sky above them.

"Relax, for once."

At the moment, Harry, Rowan, Stephano, and Hermione were laying on top of one of the flat roofs of the school, soaking in the sun from one of the falls last warm days. Previously, it was just supposed to be Harry, Rowan, and Stephano, but when Hermione had caught them trying to sneak out earlier and had persuaded them to take her with them to enjoy the sun before class began again tomorrow. Ebony was somewhere in the castle doing something and Kestrel was in the Forbidden Forest.

"Uh, I can't relax! I just know there's an assignment I forgot to do. And I think that I did question two on the Transfiguration quiz wrong, not to mention–"

"Hermione, I'm pretty sure all your homework is done and question two is fine." Harry said casting her, an amused look. Hermione blushed.

"Better safe then sorry."

"You have the highest grade in our class, I think you're safer then anyone."

"Yeah, but you can never be too careful–"

"Nonsense, why would Snape put a curse on Chase's broom?" A loud, deep voice interrupted her. Harry and the others exchanged glances before rushing over to the edge of the roof and looking down.

Below them was a tall, well rounded man and three small, rather familiar figures. Harry almost groaned when he recognized them.

"Who knows? Why was he trying to get past that three headed dog on Halloween?" Chase asked. Seamus and Lavender nodded at the question.

So Chase thought Snape had tried to get _past_ the dog? Did he even notice the harp that Rowan and Ebony had seen? Probably not. And now Chase thought Snape was the one trying to kill him when it was actually Voldemort acting through Quirell. Well, at least he had noticed the dog bite on Snape's leg, so he wasn't incredibly dense and had pieced it together with the dog. Though Harry strongly suspected that it was Lavender who did the piecing.

"Who told you about Fluffy?" the half giant, Hagrid, asked. Harry blinked while Hermione choked.

"Fluffy?" Seamus asked in amazement before Lavender added "That thing has a name?"

"Of course he has a name, he's mine." Hagrid continued. "I bought his off an Artist fellow I met in the pub last year. Then I loaned him to Dumbledore to guard the..."

"Yes?" Chase asked.

"I shouldn't have said that. No more questions, don't ask anymore questions. That's top secret, that is."

"But Hagrid," Chase began. "What ever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it."

"Codswallop." Hagrid said causing Harry to wonder if that was a word. "Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher."

"Hogwarts Teacher or not I know a spell when I see one." Lavender cut in and they stopped walking. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. "I read all about them. You have to keep eye contact and Snape wasn't blinking."

"Exactly." Chase put in.

'She's like Hermione.' Harry thought before inching back from the look Hermione sent him before realizing that he had accidently broadcasted that thought through the link. Giving her an apologetic look, he turned back to the conversation.

"And you listen to me, all three of you. You are meddling in things that are not meant to be meddled in. It's dangerous. And what that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flammel."

Harry blinked while Rowan and Stephano snorted and Hermione looked shocked. That was a little too easy.

"Nicolas Flammel?" Chase repeated. Harry watched as Hagrid's face turned red and he walked away from the three muttering. "I should not have said that, I shouldn't have said that."

Pulling away from the edge, Harry sat back on his heels and looked at Hermione. "Have you heard of him?"

Hermione shook her head. "Do you really think Snape was cursing the broom?"

"I _know _Snape wasn't the one cursing the broom." Harry said offhandedly. "It was Quirell."

"Quirell? Our DADA Professor?"

"The same."

"Then Snape–"

"Was trying to counter the curse. Though I don't see why he bothered." Harry said.

"But why would Quirell try to kill Chase?"

"It wasn't Quirell, it was Voldemort."

Only when she gasped did Harry realize that he had not told her about the incident yet. So for the next couple of minutes Harry filled her in on what happened, leaving out a few details and Voldemort's extra powers. No need to panic her, she had enough on her plate as it was.

"So You-Know-Who is here? At Hogwarts? Then how come Professor Dumbledore hasn't sensed him?"

"Because he's using Quirell as a cover."

"What do we do?"

"Nothing, for now. If we expose him, we'll be endangering everyone here. And I don't know about you, but that won't be a good idea."

"What about Professor Dumbledore?"

"While Dumbledore is probably the only one here that can defeat him in the state he is in, it's probably better if we don't tell him."

"Then what _can_ we do?"

"Simple; we wait."

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Fall quickly developed into winter and soon snow started falling outside. The out doors were soon echoing with laughter as the students played, making snowmen, forts, angels and playing snowball fights. The Great Hall was filled with many giant trees that Hagrid had brought in and had many decorations. But it was not the colourful decorations or merriment that made Harry excited.

He was going home for Christmas.

Excited with the prospect of seeing Vince, Kiryan, and Serafious again, Harry almost missed the sullen look on Ron's face every time someone mentioned the Holidays.

The day before the Holidays began; Harry cornered Ron in the Great Hall.

"Ron, what's wrong? You've been sour all week."

Ron gave him a moody glance. "It's the Christmas Holidays, Harry. Where do you go for the Christmas Holidays?"

"Why you go... Oh." That's when it occured Harry. Ron's family was still severely upset with Ron for being Harry's friend. Of course he was not looking forward to going home. Then a thought struck him.

"Why don't you spent Christmas Holidays with me? I'm sure Kiryan and Serafious won't mind if I have another friend over. And if you can't, maybe you can spend a few days with me and give your family some time to cool off. Anyway, Hermione is spending three days with me during the vacation and I'm sure she would love to have you join us." Harry knew that if Ron agreed to come, he and Hermione would have to tell Ron everything. Including who he was. But Harry didn't mind, as long as it got Ron away from 'his family' for a few days.

Ron's face lit up. "That's an excellent idea! I doubt I can go for the whole break, but a few days sounds nice."

"Well if you can, don't get on the train. We're going to spend about two days into the vacation here so Hermione can finish up all of her tests, then Kiryan is going to pick us up."

Ron nodded. Then paused. "Who's Kiryan?" he asked.

"She's my adopted mother and Serafious is my adopted father. Don't worry, if you can get along with me, you'll be fine with them. Though before we leave, Hermione and I will have to explain some stuff to you."

"What kind of stuff?"

"I can't tell you here, but don't worry, you'll know soon enough. Just remember to have a _really_ open mind."

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The semester ended on good terms and soon everyone was boarding the train. Harry, who was standing by the carriage with Kestrel, perched on his shoulder, waved to Neville and Draco as they got on the train to go home for the holidays. He was kind of upset that they couldn't visit Alenious, the Great Elf City with him, Ron, and Hermione, but they had promised their parents/ grandparents that they would spend the holidays with them.

Harry and Hermione had taken Ron to the Forbidden Forest earlier that day to fill him in on _everything, _from Harry's life, who he was, and what he was, to Voldemort using Quirell to be in the school. To say Ron had been shocked would be an understatement; he nearly fell out of the tree. And when he realized he was going to the City of the Elves and was going to meet not only elves but a vampire, needless to say he had been surprised.

And had nearly fainted.

But luckily after his shock wore off he handled it calmly, even asking the same questions Hermione had asked. He even admitted that he didn't know whether to be scared out of his mind or excited about meeting an elf or a vampire.

Ron had certainly come a long way from his family's beliefs that sometimes it was hard to recognize him. It seemed that he had come to be more accepting of things that were 'Dark' after spending so much time with them. Needless to say Harry and Hermione had been surprised at his calm acceptance and wondered if he was keeping an open mind to spite his parents and learn things they never did because they were so biased. He was willing to give the world a chance while they had closed off from it.

Then again, Harry wasn't surprised. Ron was brilliant in understanding things and had a scientist's mind, always wanting to make a new discovery. The fact that he was an excellent strategist only added to this. Where Harry knew Neville would some day become an excellent healer, he knew Ron would some day become an excellent leader.

After the explanation, Harry had given Ron one of the rings of Eston after explaining it to him that it would shield his mind and create a link between them. Ron took it thankfully, but was slightly shocked upon gaining the information that someone could enter and read your mind. He had always thought that was the only private place in the world.

During the havoc of packing and holidays Ron had explained to Hermione and Harry through the link about how he had told, not asked, his parents about spending three days with Harry during the Winter vacation in a letter. Hermione had lectured him for a half an hour on that, via the link, saying that, that was not the way to talk to your parents and giving Ron and Harry a headache. Only after Ron finally cracked and shouted to her, out loud, in the middle of the Great Hall, did she let it go and silently skulk, both mentally and physically.

At the moment Hermione was finishing her last test before starting the Honours testing that would last for the two days. Ron was somewhere around the train station, saying goodbye to the twins. He had earned a lot for respect from them when he had sent that letter to their parents and the twins, unlike the rest of their family besides Ginny, had no problem with Ron spending time with Harry.

The train gave a whistle, signalling it was time to go. Harry waved once more to Draco and Neville as they waved through the window before turning toward Ron, who had appeared through the crowd beside him.

"You can still get on the train you know. I can send Kestrel to get your stuff."

"No, it's okay. This is my choice, whether my parents like it or not. I won't let them control my life."

Harry nodded, but still felt bad for the young red head. After all they were still his family, so he was probably hurting inside.

"I'm going to go check on Hermione." Ron said after a moment before turning and heading toward the castle. Harry mentally reached out to Rowan and told her to meet Ron there so the red head wouldn't have to be alone.

Watching the train as the engines blared and it started to move Harry turned away to take the path that Ron had taken.

Only to pause.

A little ways away from him stood a little girl, looking around six with brilliant red hair and hazel eyes. She was biting her lip and looking around as if waiting for someone, before sighing and heaving up a bright red bag before struggling to pick up a gold knapsack with her free hand while trying to figure out a way to pick up the suitcase behind her. Taking pity on her, Harry approached the girl.

"Need any help?" He asked. The girl jumped at the sound of his voice and swung toward him, wide eyed.

"I... um, yeah that would be... um, nice." she stuttered nervously. Harry gave her a sympathetic look and reached down to pick up the knapsack. Kestrel, apparently feeling that they needed help, leapt off of Harry's shoulder and landed on the suitcase, curling her claws around the handle, and easily lifting it into the air with a mighty stroke of her wings. The girl stared at the magnificent bird as Kestrel let out a loud, musical chirp.

"Is that a Phoenix?" She asked in awe. Harry smiled at her fascination.

"Yes, she is. This is Kestrel and I'm Harry." he said offering his hand. The girl took her free hand and shook it.

"My name is Rose Potter."

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Rose, much to Harry's delight, was a joyful, energetic six year old that reminded him so much of himself at that age. She loved the outdoors and loved anything to do with physical activities.

When he and Kestrel had helped her get the luggage into the Potter's suite, the trio had tried to find the Potter's, only to find out they had went down to the Quiddich pitch to practice with Chase. Rose had been chest fallen about this, since apparently they had forgotten about her coming, but Harry and Kestrel managed to cheer her up by playing an imaginary game with her where she was the damsel in distress, Harry was her shining knight in armour, and Kestrel was their noble companion.

Needless to say when Ron, Hermione, Rowan, and Stephano had found them, they were well into the game and didn't notice the four until there was a roar of laughter. Which Harry promptly rewarded by giving them several snowballs to the face.

Rose was absolutely thrilled with Rowan and Stephano, especially Stephano since she could easily ride on his back, thus pronouncing him the 'Nobel Steed' much to Rowan's and Kestrel's amusement. After another game where Ron was proclaimed the Magician, Hermione was the elf princess, and Rowan was the 'Prophesied Kitty' they were trying to keep away from the bad 'guys', the group called it quits and went in for lunch.

"Man, I haven't played out a fairytale like that in years." Ron stated leaning forward and picking up another mini sandwich.

"And my life _is_ one big fairytale." Harry said offhandedly, causing Ron and Hermione to exchange knowing glances.

"Can we play something else when we are done? I want to play hide and go seek–" Rose started excitedly, only to be cut off.

"What **are **_you_** doing with _MY sister!_**" a voice cracked by the door. Ron looked up before sighing.

"Speaking of fairytales, here comes the ogre." Harry said absently as Chase stomped toward their place at the Gryffindor table, a red James and uncomfortable looking Lily behind him. Rose and the others giggled, causing Chase to turn red when he reached the table and glared at Harry.

"What did you do to my sister, Halisio?" Chase spat. Harry gave him an unimpressed look as Dumbledore stood up from the staff table and walked down the isle to join them.

"Why, I helped her from the train when no one was there to pick her up, carried her stuff for her since she couldn't do it herself, and then spent the day playing with her so she wouldn't feel bad, because apparently someone had forgotten her. Again."

At this realization dawned in Lily's eyes and she rushed past James and Chase to hug her youngest daughter. "I'm sorry Rose; we forgot you were coming to spend the holidays here with us today."

"It's okay mommy, Harry helped me. Then he and his friends played with me in the snow all day. It was so fun, mommy! We made a snow fort, played 'Kingdom', and I got to ride on Stephano's back! He's huge!"

Dumbledore snickered at this, attracting everyone's attention. "Sounds like you had a busy morning." he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Yes, Uncle Albus! If was so much fun!"

Chase looked at Rose in horror. "What _did_ you do to my sister?" He shot at Harry. Harry merely raised an eyebrow as he sipped his pumpkin juice.

"Just because you don't have time for Rose, Chase doesn't mean the rest of us don't. So why don't you go back to the pitch to practice a skill you are obviously hopeless at and leave us in peace."

Chase had turned really red by the end of this and glared at an unaffected Harry. "I am the last person you want as an enemy, Halisio." he said darkly. Harry smirked.

"No, Chase. You're the first."

"Am I interrupting something?" a soft, musical voice cut in. Everyone turned toward the voice and stared. All except Harry, who jumped out of his chair and bolted over to the figure, throwing his arms around her.

"Kiryan!" he shouted in joy. Kiryan laughed and hugged him back, ruffling his hair. After a moment she pulled back and held him at arms length.

"Look at you, you've gotten taller!" she exclaimed. Harry laughed.

"And my hair's messier."

"Ah, well, there's no helping that." she said smiling and ruffling it. Kestrel, who had given a soft trill at the sight of her, pushed off the table flew toward them. Kiryan raised her hand, allowing Kestrel to rest on the side of it.

"You're an Elf!" Hermione exclaimed. Kiryan looked at her in amusement.

"Very good, little one. And you must be Hermione Granger. According to Vince, Harry talks much about you and his other friends." At that Hermione and Ron blushed.

"Is Vince here?" Harry asked. Kiryan shook her head.

"No, I'm here to pick you and your friends up. I know I might be a little early, I hope it's okay."

"It is perfectly fine, Miss Kiryan." Dumbledore intercepted, rather quickly for Harry's taste. "I'll have a room set up for you. How long are you staying with us?"

"Only for two days or until Hermione finishes her exams."

"And them we can go to Alenious?" Ron blurted. Kiryan laughed.

"Yes, then we can go to Alenious."

"Well, _you're _certainly not going, young man! You're parents sent me a letter saying to send you home as soon as you are packed." a sharp voice cut in and the group looked up to see Professor McGonagall walking over to them. Ron looked at her.

"Then you can tell them that I'll see them in five days. No more, no less."

"Young man, you are eleven! You are your parent's responsibility and are under your parent's guardian ship until you are seventeen!" McGonagall stated, taking Ron be the arm. Ron yanked away.

"I'm not going back yet!" he shouted and ran out of the Great Hall.

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Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Harry sighed and looked up.

"You gonna be up there all day?"

"I'd be up here for two days if I could." Ron said, shifting into a more comfortable position on the branch. Harry sighed and looked around the clearing deep in the Forbidden Forest. He knew he could probably find Ron here; it was where he and Hermione had taken Ron when they had explained everything.

Unfurling his wings, Harry expanded them and pushed off the ground, easily reaching the branch where Ron resided. Folding them, he stood perfectly balanced and looked up at the bright blue sky.

"I'm a horrible son, aren't I? I mean, who wouldn't want to see their parents after five months away from home?" Ron said pulling his knees up to his chest.

"It's not like you don't want to see them." Harry said after a moment, still looking up into the sunlight. "More like you're not ready to see them."

"Well, would you be? All my life, they've told me to build my own life the way I want it and to make my own choices. Yet when I finally do, when I finally decide a choice on my own, they come back saying 'Oh, you can't do that because we don't like that, do this'."

Harry sighed and lowered himself into a kneeling position on the branch, randomly plucking a leaf and examining it. "But what are you going to do? McGonagall is right, you're only eleven."

Ron looked down and curled tightly into a ball. "I don't know. You guys are the best of friends anyone could ask for, and I don't want to give you up. Not even for my family."

"But when it comes down to it, we're the ones keeping you from your family."

Ron pressed his lips together, and then shook his head. "No. When it comes down to it, _I'm_ the one keeping me from my family. But is it so wrong, to want to be an individual? To not want to live in the shadow of your brothers or parents? To want to make your own choices?"

This time Harry was the one who shook his head. "No, I suppose not."

"That's way I'm going with you. That's why I'm still your friend and am not giving up on you. Because it's my choice and just because my parents don't approve of it, doesn't mean I have to give up. I won't give up."

Harry suddenly smiled. "Spoken like a true Gryffindor."

Ron blushed at this before shaking his head. "Speaking of which, when we come back from Alenious, do you want to came to the Burrow with me?"

"The Burrow?"

"It's what we call my house." Ron said shrugging. "This way I can see where you live and you can see where I live. Not to mention Ginny needs a reprieve, especially since The Potter's are throwing a Christmas party on Christmas Eve and invited my family."

"A party, huh? I doubt I'm invited though."

"Don't worry, it's open invitation. Anyway, I think you'll be safe because all pure blood families were invited, so I'm pretty sure the Malfoy's and Longbottom's will be there."

"Think they'll mind if I take Hermione?"

"Probably, since it's for 'pure bloods'."

"Too bad."

Ron laughed. "So, you in? It'll probably be deathly boring without you."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world."

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By the time Harry had coaxed Ron out of the tree the sun was setting in the horizon and it was nearly dinner time. When the two exited the tree, Harry watched in amusement as Ron got nearly knocked over by a certain bushy haired student, who immediately jumped into a lecture about leaving the grounds. Smiling at the two, Harry exchanged glances with Kiryan as the elf princess walked over to them, Rose bouncing happily beside her with Hedwig in her arms.

Hedwig gave a sharp chirp at the sight of Harry and flapped out of Rose's arms to land on Harry's shoulder before extending her leg, a crisp white letter tied to it. Harry gave her feathers a slight ruffle before excepting the letter and slipping it into his pocket as they headed into the castle.

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"It's more of a ball really." Ron said from his place sitting cross-legged on one of the couches in the Slytherin common room. Nearly every one in Slytherin besides seven other students and Harry had left for the Christmas holidays, so the Slytherin Common Room was the perfect place to hang out at the time. Especially since Chase had dubbed the Gryffindor Common Room his and his friend's domain.

At the moment Harry and his friends were all curled up on the plush green couches around the roaring fire. Contrary to popular belief, thedungeons were not that cold, but it still was nice to have extra heat from the fire. Harry was sitting on the couch closest to the fire with Kiryan, who had decided to join them and was reading a novel. Ron was on the middle couch in the arc they had arranged around the fire and Hermione was laying on the one on his other side, listening with rapt attention to what Ron was saying. Rose was laying on her stomach on the floor, playing with a puzzle Harry had found earlier.

Rose had apparently decided to spend time with them instead of her family, saying that they were more fun and didn't ignore her. They didn't really mind and Kiryan absolutely adored the little girl, saying she was just like Harry when he was her age. Harry was especially thrilled by her decision, as he got to spend time with his sister.

"Like a ball? With dancing and ball gowns and everything?" Hermione jumped in, looking enthralled. Ron gave her an amused look.

"Is there any other type."

Hermione blushed and Ron and Harry laughed.

"Sorry, it's just, I've never been to one."

"Speaking of which, Ron, can I borrow you for a minute?" Harry asked, standing up. Ron gave him a confused look, but followed him none the less to the other side of the room. Stopping by one of the wood tables, Harry turned toward him.

"Can you do me a favour?" Harry said as Ron reached him. Ron blinked.

"What?"

"Can you ask Hermione to the dance?"  
_"What!"_

"Shh, please. Come on, this is her first dance. At least this way she won't feel awkward about being there and the Potter's don't have an excuse to kick her out and– "

"Okay, okay, I get it. But why can't you ask her?"

"Because I'm skating on thin ice just by going. I don't want her to get into trouble too."

Ron sighed. "Okay, I'll do it. But just for the record, she's a _friend."_

Harry smiled. "Of course she is. What gave you the impression I thought other wise?"

Ron gave him a disbelieving look.

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_Dear Harry,_

_What did you do? My mom and dad came stomping into the house yesterday with my brothers, claiming that Ron had apparently sent them a letter saying that he was spending part of the holiday with you and that there was nothing they could do about it. It sure got them worked up; they were yelling for an hour saying how Ron was completely lost to the dark side and that you were out to turn their family against them. It was quite funny. At least, Fred, George, and I got a kick out of it. Fred and George send their greetings by the way and say they can't wait to see you again. Something about pulling a prank on Chase during the Potter Christmas Ball. You do know about that, right? I hope you are coming; those formal parties are always boring. Anyway, just make sure you have Ron home on time so my parents don't have another thing to yell about. Oh, and they (my parents) are aware that I'm in contact with you and wanted me to tell you to 'un-sink your claws from their youngest children before you completely defile us with your dark ways'. Corny, huh? I sure thought so. They also threatened to ground me if I continued to be in contact with you, but I plainly told them that I'd 'pull a Ron' if they tried to. Can you thank Ron for that one for me by the way? It has really gotten me out of some situations lately. Anyway, see you later (hopefully at the Ball)._

_See you_

_Ginny_

_00_

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Hey guys! Sorry if it's a little shorter then usual, but it was just one of those chapters that are boring to write, but have to be written to fill in blanks and set the plot. And I will be the first to admit this was probably the corniest and worst chapter I have ever written. Sorry about that guys, the next will be better (I hope).

Advice would be especially loved at this point. I kind of know where I'm going with this, but it's going to be a long while till I get there and I need little things that can happen as filler till then, if you know what I mean. Any and all ideas (even if they are incredibly crazy) are welcome.

P.S. if you are wondering why Harry and the others acted childish in some part of this chapter it is because they are _eleven_. They're not teenagers, heck, they're not even _preteens_. So they're going to act immature sometimes, even Harry.

R&R


	15. Price for a Memory

Welcome back. Just to warn you though, this chapter is not very happy. Quite the opposite, if you do not like blood or death, do not read the first part.

I REPEAT, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE BLOOD OR DEATH, DO NOT READ AND SKIP DOWN TO THE VERY BOTTOM, WHERE I WILL GIVE A SUMMERY. When you are done with the summary, go up to the part marked HERE (You can't miss it) and read it from there. Though I doubt many will.

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_The wind howled, rushing around the once battle field, ruffling cloth and carrying the scent of blood through the air, before running icy fingers through long amber hair. Serafious stood gazing down from a small hill upon a sea of red._

_A sea of blood and corpses._

_Faces of companions and friends stared with empty eyes upon the darkening sky, the sunset pink as the sun fell, seeing yet not. Violet eyes roamed the sight before Serafious sighed and turned, his heart tearing before freezing over. _

_He knew what he had to do. _

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Serafious sighed and pushed back the papers he had been working on in favor of looking out the window. Needless to say, he couldn't focus.

He was _the_ Ancient, the oldest vampire in existence. Feared and revered by all of his kind. As the oldest, it was his job to rule and protect the other vampires. Taking these two jobs very seriously, he was never able to have anything for himself, never allowed himself to have any weaknesses.

Until Kiryan and Harry came along.

They were the first he had allowed close to himself after thousands of years of solitude.

And the one being that he had once called friend was threatening to take them away.

Obsidian was a ruthless, precise creature, with intelligence and experience that could rival his own. His reputation was revered, as was his power and strength. And Obsidian knew it.

Which was probably his downfall.

Obsidian had let the lure of the Darkness consume him, like most of his kind tended to do. But being creatures of the Dark, it was only natural for his kind. Serafious could do nothing but watch as his first and only friend fell deeper and deeper into the abys.

Serafious would never forget that day. The day when Obsidian had fell. So many lives had been lost, friends and enemies alike, the battlefield like a painting of long lost and forgotten wars. And though the corpses had been long removed, if you were to gaze upon the battlefield, you would see nothing but red, for the very grass itself had taken up the color after being drenched for so long in it.

Serafious closed his eyes, wishing the image away, but it only intensified.

_'Why Obsidian?'_

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_'Why Obsidian?'_

Obsidian smirked as the thought flickered through his mind in a voice he was all to familiar with. Though by the wistfulness in the voice he could tell the thought hadn't been purposely projected to him. Hmm, how fast the Ancient had forgotten about their connection.

Obsidian stood from his kneeling position on a projecting branch overlooking Alenious. City of the Elves indeed. It looked a little too colorful and overdone for his taste. Then again, those elves always did like being glamorous.

Obsidian clicked his tongue and shook his head before extending his mind, waiting, listening. When what he was searching for didn't respond, he repressed a growl, suppressing the sudden rush of power that responded to his anger.

Damn that old man. He knew.

Calming the pulsing magic that prowled like a hungry beast beneath his skin, Obsidian changed his search, this time finding the magical signature he was searching for flickering deep with in the city.

Allowing a smirk to once more grace his face, he pulled the Shadows around his form once more before launching himself into the night sky. The thrill of the icy wind whipping against his face was exhilarating after so long of the darkness and nothingness of the Void. Yes, Angelus had done his homework well when he had sent him there.

The excitement was soon over however, when gravity decided to work its curse, forcing him to land lightly on a rooftop. He did not allow gravity to continue though; within a millisecond he was airborne again, lightly skimming over the rooftops of the houses in his way to Hyestious Myano, the giant crystal palace in the center of the city.

Upon reaching his destination he threw himself into the air once more, clearing the courtyard within seconds to land gracefully on a protruding balcony on the 7th floor of the palace. Straightening, he looked over the wall in front of him.

Yes, the Elves truly knew what they were doing when they had built this place. The crystal walls practically hummed with magic, almost seeming like a sentient being. And Obsidian was pretty sure the crystals _were_ some how sentient from the way they were reacting to his magic.

Sure that he couldn't phase through the crystal or Shadow walk like he usually did upon entering, Obsidian let a sly smile slip across his lips. Oh well, he would just have to do it the old fashion way.

Shoving away from the balcony, Obsidian did a backwards flip to steady his descent before allowing gravity its way. Feeling the grass give underneath his feet, Obsidian allowed his knees to bend slightly to stabilize his landing before he straightened and rolled his shoulders.

This was going to be fun.

Approaching the palace entrance with soundless, graceful steps he smiled at the sight of two guards by the entrance busy talking and looking completely relaxed. Apparently, the Elves didn't believe they had to fear any threat since they considered themselves so powerful.

Oh, how he was going to enjoy correcting them.

Choosing to ignore the guards and head to his main goal, he walked silently by them, paying them no heed. That is until one of the guards noticed him.

"Hey, you're not allowed-"

The Elf got no farther. Obsidian, upon hearing him, whirled around, a whip of dark violet light extending from his touching middle and pointer finger to slice through the air and strike the guard in the neck, efficiently and cleanly decapitating him. As the first guard'shead hit the ground, followed a second later by the now crimson drenched body, the second guard snapped out of his stupor and quickly unsheathed the blade at his hip, swinging it with vigor at Obsidian and lashing out with his mind at the same time.

_'The old man has his servants well trained.'_ Obsidian thought as he ducked under the blade before parrying it with his own black blade that had materialized in his had with a thought. Easily blocking the mind that was trying to enter and subdue his own, he had to hand it to the elf; any lesser being would have submitted to the sudden violent assault of power and the speed that the elf moved with.

But he was no such being.

Getting tired quickly with the fight, Obsidian side stepped the swinging blade once more before twirling and wisping his blade through the air. And right when the guard went to block he struck, elongating his black nails with a thought and shoving his hand straight through the elf's armor and into his chest. The elf froze, his body stiff as Obsidian retracted his arm, drawing his 12 inch nails out of the elf's body before turning and walking through the palace doors, not bothering to pause for the resounding thump of the body hitting the ground behind him.

Rising his still elongated nails to his mouth, he licked off the crimson blood and closed his eyes in ecstacy at the taste of the elf blood. Elves were creatures of intense power, so their blood, like other powerful creatures, contained magic by itself. Which made it quite delectable for beings such as his kind and vampires. Especially Elder blood, which was as magically charged and powerful as the Elder's magic itself.

Which reminded him.

As much as he would have loved to play and kill every elf in the palace, he was kind of on a tight schedule. And now since he was now inside the palace, the magic of the crystal could no longer block out his powers without blocking out the powers of every being within its walls. Ah, the beauty of White Magic. With a smile Obsidian wrapped the Shadows around him and Shadow Walked to the presence he had been tracking.

Upon entering the room where the presence resided, Obsidian had to resist the urge to gag at the scent that assaulted him as soon as the Shadows allowed him to become solid. Looking up, he identified the source; thousands of flowers grew in the room, covering the sparkling blue floor and exotic green walls in varieties of colors. What could be seen of the main building was sparking in the light cast from the crystals hanging from the ceiling, which was a sparking white.

It was disgustingly pure.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the elves choices of decor, Obsidian approached the glowing thrown between two high pillars at the other side of the room. But mostly his attention was taken by the figure sitting upon the throne, whose head was leaned back with its eyes closed. Obsidian smirked and released his hold on his power, allowing his aura to lash and curl lazily out. A second later the figure's eyes shot open and Obsidian was fixed with two silver-white orbs.

Repressing his pleasure at the reaction, Obsidian mockingly bowed at the waist.

"Master Kaden, what a pleasure it is to see you again."

"The pleasure is all yours, Obsidian." Kaden replied evenly. Obsidian raised an eyebrow mockingly.

"You wound me."

Kaden said nothing in favor of studying him. Obsidian soon became annoyed with his previous Master.

"You don't seem that surprised to see me." Obsidian stated looking over his still elongated nails, which were still covered with the elf's blood and even now dripped to the ground, staining the brightly blue colored crystal. Kaden glanced at his nails for a minute before his expression became masked.

"Surprises are for the youth." Kaden stated before straightening his posture. "What do you want, Obsidian?"

Obsidian scoffed. "You sound like Angelus." At Kaden's sudden stiffness, Obsidian sent him an amused look. "Don't worry Master, I wouldn't dream of physically hurting my _dear_ old friend."

"Physically." Kaden repeated. Obsidian let a dark smile alight his features.

"Which brings me back to the original purpose of my being here. One in which I'm sure you can be very helpful with." Obsidian said before lifting his hand and placing one of his nails against his lips, elegantly licking the red liquid off. Kaden stiffened more in his chair and Obsidian knew he got the message loud and clear.

Obsidian immensely enjoyed having the usually all powerful Elder under his power. Kaden was one of the most powerful elves, true, but Kaden's type of power was nothing compared to the type he wielded.

"And what is that?" Kaden said, his voice even and curious. Obsidian took his nails away from his mouth and carelessly flicked them to the side, causing a few crimson droplets to land on the silky petals of the flowers at his feet. Obsidian admired the sight for a moment before looking up at Kaden.

"Tell me Kaden, where is your daughter?" At those words Obsidian had a millisecond to form a shield as a vibrant ball of pure White Magic soared at him. Dropping his shield he whirled out of the way of the second and third one before his patience wore thin and he released his leash on his power.

Dark energy immediately filled the room, ripping through the light and shadowing the room in an everlasting darkness. Even the flowers themselves seemed to shudder at the intensity of the power. But that was nothing compared to the wave of pure, amplified darkness that followed the first wave, ripping through the White Magic and slamming Kaden against the wall above his throne; pure, controlled Black Magic.

Obsidian closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure at the feel of the Black Magic coursing around and through him. By itself, Black Magic was the most raw and violent form of magic in all of the levels, including Nexis. But when controlled and tamed, it was like the most intense of pleasures. Unfortunately, not many were successful in taming the wild power.

Except for him.

The Black Magic swirled around him, waiting and eager to serve. Though why wouldn't it be when he was of the very beings that created it? However, unlike others of his kind, he did not solely rely on Black Magic; quite the contrary he learned and perfected all the other levels before learning Black Magic.

And come to think of it, it had been with Angelus that he had learned all the other levels from their Master, Kaden.

Allowed the Black Magic to surround him, he floated into the air until he was directly in front of Kaden, who was still pressed against the wall by the Black Magic. His old Master looked out of breath and seemed to be trying to struggle out of the Black Magic's hold, but to no avail; Obsidian could see the Black Magic slowly feeding off the Elder's strength. Which was another reason why Black Magic was so powerful; it literally ate the life energy of those in its clutches.

Using one of his bloodied extended black nails, Obsidian placed it under Kaden's chin and lifted his head until Kaden's eyes met his.

"Allow me to repeat my question." Obsidian said leaning closer. "Where is your daughter?"

Kaden, though in obvious pain from the feel of the Black Magic tearing apart his magic and eating his life, met his gaze steadily. "Away where you will not find her."

Obsidian chuckled. "Oh, I beg to differ, old man. I will get what I want."

"Then you will have to take from my mind." Kaden challenged. Obsidian raised an eyebrow; an Elder's mind were the most challenging and nearly impossible to break into.

Of course, then again he always did love a challenge.

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_'Call it intuition.'_ Vince thought as he flitted through the forest. _'But I have a horrible feeling that something is terribly wrong.'_

The feeling had been nagging him for a half an hour now, telling him to get to Hyestious Myano as fast as physically possible. And after a half an hour, he got fed up and gave in. Though now that he was running full speed, he wished for Harry's wings; the ominous feeling kept getting stronger the closer he got to Alenious.

Finally after what felt like an eternity to Vince, he reached the base of Mount Estien. Running to the rock wall in front of him, he pressed his hand to the surface, not at all surprised when something pricked his hand, drawing a little blood. When the Mountain identified him as a elf, there was a shimmering in the wall in front of him before the rock completely vanished, leaving a wide opening. Vince quickly ducked into it and rushed up the spiraling crystal staircase on the other side that led up to the top of the mountain, ignoring the wall as it shimmered back into place behind him.

Now really wishing for Harry's wings, Vince finally reached the top and shoved through the door separating him from Alenious. The door gave away and he was instantly greeted with the sparkling crystal that, even though it was night, shimmered and glowed in an unseen light.

Ignoring the breathtaking sight and noticing that no one was awake, Vince ran through the city, guided by the soft golden glow of the palace. Though something seemed off about the once lumerous Hyestious Myano; a shadow seemed to have fallen over it.

Biting his lip, Vince continued, even though a part of his being was now telling him to run in the opposite direction. Before he new it, he was standing in front of the Main Entrance.

Except, no one was there.

Now really wanting to turn back, Vince swallowed and walked over to push the giant crystal doors open. Only to reel and stubble back to fall on the ground, retching what had been in his stomach from earlier.

Corpses littered the entire hall, some missing bodied parts, which could be seen adorning the furniture, while others had giant wholes through them, as if someone had shoved something big straight into their chests. Yet for some reason all of the wounds looked precise and elegantly done, as if the person was not rushed.

And all of the corpses were missing their heads.

Almost retching again from the smell of death and decay, Vince covered his mouth and stepped into the room.

Only to find something weird.

None of the corses had blood. In fact, there was no blood anywhere, not even on any of the body parts.

_'But how can that be?'_ Vince thought. _'We've been at peace with the Vampires ever since Serafious joined us and the only other creatures that drink blood are...'_

Suddenly Vince's eyes widened and the ominous feeling returned ten fold.

_'No, it couldn't be, it's not possible...'_

Forcing his feet to move, Vince sickly stepped around the corpses and exited the main entrance, slightly relieved to see that it was the only hall with bodies; all the other halls were clean. Only when he was sure it was clear did he run full speed to the Throne Room, his mind shouting at him the whole time to turn and go back. But before he let his instincts take over he reached the giant doors and shoved them open.

Only to gag, thankful that there was nothing else in his stomach.

A crimson field greeted him.

The flowers, once beautiful, were now all covered in crimson, each drenched from stem to petals. Yet strangely, the blood was only on the flowers; not a drop was seen on the floor or walls. It was as if someone had carefully painted each individual petal.

Stepping back a step, Vince took a deep breath of clean, fresh air before holding his breath and bolting into the room. Dry heaving from the intense smell, Vince made it to the other side of the room, wanting, no, _needing_ to know if his fear was true. So Vince almost cried out when a limp figure covered in blood came into view, laying in front of the throne.

Vince sprinted to the limp figure and flung himself by it. Hands shaking, he pulled the figure so that it was facing toward him.

Kaden looked horrible. His face was drawn and haggard and for the first time ever, he looked his age. Vince, fearing the worst, reached to check for a pulse.

Only to get his wrist caught in an iron grip.

Eyes widening, Vince looked down to see Kaden open his silver-white eyes. The eyes were glazed for a minute before they focused on Vince and the grip tightened.

"Vincent." Kaden said, his voice as haggard as his appearance.

"Don't talk." Vince said, now really worried. Then he put his arm around Kaden's shoulders and heaved him to his feet. "We need to get out of here."

Kaden was silent as Vince half carried, half dragged the Elder to the main doors and into the hallway. Carefully sitting Kaden on one of the sofas, Vince quickly spelled the blood off of both of them, not being able to stand the smell. Once clean and seeing that Kaden was okay, Vince reached out with his mind, searching, seeking, looking for _any_ elf that was conscious. And finally he found one.

_'Help!'_ He shouted with his mind, becoming instantly weak by the contact. Mentally contacting someone was especially taxing on any being because of the magic required to establish the link. That's why Harry's Rings were so handy; there was already a link established

Immediately he got a response and he was able to tell what happened. When he was done he felt the other break the connection, only to come back shortly after to inform Vince he had told the Guard and they were on their way.

Now feeling better with the knowledge that help was on the way, Vince cut the connection and focused on Kaden, whose eyes were closed as if in sleep. Figuring that he had to meet the guards, he went to stand. Only to stop when a hand weakly grabbed his wrist once more.

"Vince. Wait." Kaden heaved, weakly opening his eyes. "I need you...to...do some-th-thing for me."

"Anything." Vince said kneeling.

"I need you to t-tell Harry, K-kiryan, and Serafious t-that... t-that..."

"That?"

"That...it was... Obsidian..."

And with that Kaden fainted, leaving a horror struck Vince looking down at him.

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Kiryan stepped to the side as the wizards pushed past her, sneering as they went by. She shook her head and continued on her way.

Quote from Vince, wizards really did have a 'superiority complex'. They believed that since she was an Elf she was related to their 'House Elves' (which weren't Elves at all, she had checked) and was thus treated as such. Even though when it came down to it she was centuries old and could easily and effortlessly level a hundred of them.

Of course, then again, wizards looked down on all magical creatures, believing they were less superior and going so far as to name them 'Dark Creatures' or 'Half breeds' and attempting to take territories. At the rate things were going the Magical Creatures were going to snap pretty soon and wipe out the wizarding race just to be done with them. Wizards really were completely ignorant, especially since there were magical beings that have lived for thousands of years, before wizards even existed.

So far, the only ones who treated her like an individual instead of a 'Dark Creature' was of course Harry, his two friends Ron and Hermione, Rose, and, to her surprise, Lily Potter and Dumbledore. While she understood Dumbledore had to do it to maintain appearances, she couldn't understand why Lily was being so nice and helpful to her, asking if she needed anything and helping her settle in. Harry's real mother had surprised her, to say the least, especially since James and Chase seemed to go out of their way to be rude to her, when Lily wasn't around of course.

Kiryan sighed and ran a hand through her hair, a habit she had developed from when Harry was young. She still didn't understand why her Father had sent her here three days early. When she had questioned him about it, Kaden had simply remained silent before telling her to hurry or she would miss her ride. It was so unlike him and now she was really worried. So far two days had passed and she hadn't heard a word.

Sighing again, Kiryan rounded the corner and found herself in what the wizards called the Great Hall. Figuring that the looks some wizards were giving her were completely uninviting, she turned to leave when something crashed into her side. She looked down to see a big pair of hazel eyes looking up at her and couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips at the cute look the red head was giving her.

"Kiryan, do you know where Harry and the others are?" Rose asked innocently. Kiryan smiled wider before kneeling.

"Yes, Hermione is taking one of her tests and Harry and Ron are in... the 'Forbidden Forest', if I recall correctly."

Rose pouted. "What are they doing there?"

"Probably exploring, you know how those two can be. Maybe if you look you can find Rowan or Stephano if they are not with them."

Rose's face lit up. "Okay!" she said before darting away. Kiryan shook her head and stood up to leave. Only to pause when she saw Lily stand and make her way toward her.

"How are you today Miss Kiryan?" Lily asked when she became level with the Elf Princess. Kiryan smiled politely, even though she could see James and Chase glaring at her from behind Lily's back.

"I am well. You have a beautiful and lovely daughter." Kiryan said politely.

Lily smiled, but Kiryan saw the look of regret flash across her eyes. So she hadn't played a key role in the child's life then.

"Thank you." Lily said but before she could continue a shrill musical note interrupted her. Moments later the sound of wings could be heard before Kestrel alighted on Kiryan's shoulder. Immediately Kiryan was subjected to images, ones on Harry and Ron, a clearing in the forest, and a feeling of urgency. She blinked seconds later.

"Thank you Kestrel." she said. Kestrel gave a soft trill and took flight while Kiryan turned toward Lily, who looked confused. "Please excuse me Mrs. Potter, Harry is calling."

Lily gave her a curious look but nodded all the same as Kiryan swept out of the room, following Kestrel's trilling.

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Harry bit his lip while he rubbed Kiryan's back as she sat with her head in her hands on one of the tree's branches. Ron sat a little ways away from them with his arms around his knees, watching them with worry.

The day had started out simple enough, with Hermione going to do her tests and Ron and Harry going into the Forbidden Forest to collect herbs and stones and such for some potions they were making. And they were doing quite well.

That was, until Vince had contacted Harry with some horrible news and Ron, who had over heard the whole thing via the link, had sent Kestrel to get Kiryan since Harry had went into shock. Now Vince had connected and explained everything to her, before apologizing profusely and saying he had to go because help had arrived. But he hadn't left before telling them that he had contacted Serafious and that the Ancient was on his way to pick them up. This had calmed Kiryan down immensely, but she was still upset over the attack of her Father and kept mumbling something about him knowing and that being the reason he sent her there early.

And now Harry could do nothing but try and calm her and hope Serafious hurried.

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Rowan sniffled and tucked her tail around herself, placing her head on her paws with a soft meow. Even now Harry's pain was beating into her, and from her position on the roof next to the snowy owl, she could tell Hedwig was going through the same thing. The owl kept shifting her weight and snapping her beat while looking sharply around as if wanting to take flight. But apparently she had reached the same conclusion as Rowan; there was nothing they could do.

Rowan sighed, watching as an icy mist swirled in front of her before disappearing into the grey sky. 'It's going to snow again soon.' Rowan thought as she gazed across the white land. Even the lake was covered in a fine layer of ice.

The weather and landscape fit perfectly with the mood.

Beside her Hedwig ruffled her feathers until she practically disappeared into them. When she reemerged she turned toward Rowan and pawed the roof for a minute before taking off. Rowan, one to get a hint, took flight after her, wondering what in the world the owl was doing.

Flying over the roof and to the front of Hogwarts, Rowan looked at Hedwig strangely as the owl started descending before shrugging and following her.

And rearing up as cobalt blue fire shot up from the ground in front of them, forming a perfect circle about 4 feet wide and 6 feet high.

While Rowan had stopped at the sight of the fire, Hedwig had kept flying at it at a steady pace, before flaring her wings to stop in front of it.

And land on a pale, long fingered outstretched hand that had suddenly appeared from the flames.

Right before them a figure stepped completely out of the flames, reaching up and stroking Hedwig's feathers with the other hand as the flames sank and vanished behind them, leaving no trace of being there.

Rowan hesitated in the air, staring at the figure. It was a man that was tall and well muscled with long amber hair flowing down his back. Only when he looked up and fixed her with exotic violet eyes did she recognize him from the many stories Harry had told them.

So this was Angelus Serafious.

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Ok, here's a summary for those of you that do not like gory details or are too young; (though I doubt there are many of you)

The chapter starts out with Serafious's memory of Obsidian's first rampage and how he concluded that he had to send Obsidian to the void. Then it comes to the present where Serafious is thinking about Harry and Kiryan and how Obsidian, who was his first and only friend, fell into the darkness of his power.

Then it transfers to Obsidian's point of view as he scans Alenious for any sign of Kiryan. Finding none, he figures that Kaden, Kiryan's father, knew he was alive and sent her away. Then he scans for Kaden and finds him in the palace. Obsidian then makes his way there and, finding that he couldn't get through the walls thanks to the magical crystal they were made of, kills the guards at the main entrance and makes his way through to the Throne Room, where he confronts Kaden. They exchange a few words until Obsidian asks where Kiryan is, which is when Kaden attacks his old student (Obsidian and Serafious were both Kaden's old students) using White Magic. Obsidian avoids all of the magic and responds with Black Magic, which he has complete control over along with all the other levels before it. Kaden quickly succumbs to the Magic, for it eats life energy, and dares Obsidian to try to get the knowledge he wants out of Kaden's mind. Which is nearly impossible, since barely anyone has ever broke into a Elder's mind. The last part is Obsidian thinking of how he loves challenges.

Then in switches to Vince's point of view as he runs through the forest, trying to get to Alenious due to a bad feeling he got. After much running he reaches the palace, only to want to run away when he opens the doors; the entire guard and staff are dead in the main hall. After getting over his shock he goes to the Throne Room to find Kaden, who is on the floor next to his throne, battered but alive. Vince helps him out of the Room and mentally calls for help. But before the other guards get there Kaden tells Vince that Obsidian was the one who did it and to 'tell Harry, Kiryan and Serafious' before Kaden passes out.

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Wow, that took forever. And sorry it was so short, I'll try to make the next chapter longer. Tell me if you like that style of writing. Oh, and if you've read this (the author's note) put a 'Read it' in your review. I'm taking a survey on how many people actually read the author's notes.


	16. Revelations

Wow, I'm so sorry! I didn't even realize I hadn't updated in a year! Some of you guys probably thought I had given up. Well, no siri! I'm back with another chapter for ya. Sorry about the wait. I kinda forgot where I was going with this story and found this chapter half writen so this chapter might be a little confusing. Though, but it's more of a filler, so I can get the introductions of some characters and revelations of others out of the way. Also, if you get confused (as some readers have admitted) then I have a summary at the end to help out. I'll try to put summaries at the end of the chapters from now on to help you guys out. Also I'm going to try and make a character profile in my Bio page to help you keep track of who is who

Enjoy.

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Remus wanted to hit his head against the nearest hard surface.

Something was wrong, he just knew it. Call it intuition or the instincts of the Wolf, but something was definitely wrong.

It felt as if the Balance of Magic had been shifted. And not in a good way either.

Unaware to him, he let out a low growl, which caused Sirius, who was sitting a little ways away from him on the dark blue couch, to sigh and slam his book closed, effectively catching the wolf's attention.

"What is it?" Sirius all but growled as he rubbed his temples. "You've been edgy and moody all day."

"I don't know!" Remus said in exasperation. "Something's wrong! Something's... Oh, I don't know! It feels like something's going to happen. And it's not going to be good, I can tell you that right now! It's like the natural pattern of magic is off and I don't know why!"

"Natural pattern?" Sirius said, pausing his head massage to look at Remus curiously. "Is that what Moony is telling you?"

"Moony's as confused as I am." Remus said, leaning forward and placing his finger tips on his temples. "I just don't..."

Sirius, who was silently listening to his friend, looked up sharply at Remus's sudden silence to meet two completely amber eyes gazing fiercely out the window. But before he could open his mouth to question his friend Remus shot out of his chair and out of the door.

Sighing and putting his book down Sirius followed him.

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The room was a cavern made of black crystal ice. It was fairly big, with dark and forbidding tapestries lining the walls and a deep crimson carpet blanketing the floor. The only light in the whole place came from a large glowing orb shaped mirror in the middle of the room.

The mirror was glowing a brilliant shade of red. It was a fair size, as tall as 7 feet and as wide as a fence post was long. It seemed to be pulsing with unhindered energy. And seen clearly within the orb was the vision of a huge forest next to a mediaeval looking castle.

"Why are we here? This is a waste of time. We should just kill them and get it over with." a loud, booming childish voice said from the darkness.

"Patience, Arnious. Good things always come to those who wait." This voice was calm and more mature with a slight musical and velvety intonation to it.

"Yeah, Arnious, and anyway it's only a matter of time." added a sly voice.

"But I'm so hungry, and the beings there smell so good. And so weak."

"But what do you expect, they're only humans."

"Silence, both of you." the calm voice interrupted. "It seems more players have come to join the game. Come, let us begin."

And with that, the three presences vanished from the room.

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"I just can't believe that something like this would happen." Kiryan said wiping her eyes on the tissue Harry had given her. "Father has always been so strong, I just can't imagine anyone defeating him."

"I'm sure he didn't go down without a fight." Ron added, trying to be helpful.

"But why would anyone attack my Father; he's always been such a kind and honest man that never did anything to harm anyone." Kiryan sobbed. Harry looked helplessly at Ron.

"I don't know why anyone would attack Master Kaden." Harry said in exasperation.

_Do you think it had anything to do with Voldemort? _Ron asked via the link so Kiryan wouldn't hear them.

_I don't know. _Harry answered honestly. In all reality he was really confused. Master Kaden was one of the strongest of the elves, and he was an Elder. The fact that someone had subdued him and beaten him was very uncanny indeed. Though if he had to reach a conclusion he knew it couldn't have been Voldemort. The man couldn't have done it at a distance and besides, as powerful and dangerous as Voldemort was his power output was severely limited as long as he did not have a compatible body of his own that could handle the destructive power of Black Magic.

Kaden was one of the most accomplished users of White Magic, one of the three powers of Nexis. While Harry's Lestran form gave him the natural ability to use Ancient Magic, the third power of Nexis including Black Magic, his body wasn't ready for such a powerful Magic to travel through it. So even though he had an Ancient Magic core, he couldn't use it yet until he did the Blood, Soul, and Necromancy Rituals to strengthen his powers and body to control and handle it.

The only other person Harry knew who could _possibly_ beat Kaden, besides the Royals and Ancients from the other races, was Serafious. But the vampiric Ancient had no reason to do so and even respected the Elder. So this whole situation was really confusing to Harry.

"And maybe it was an accident." Ron continued to the sobbing Kiryan. "You know, something went wrong. Or–"

"I assure you it wasn't an accident. And everything went according to our Lord's plan." a sudden voice cut in. Harry had a millisecond to grab Ron and leap off the branch before something hit it and it vaporized into green flames. Kiryan, who had orbed (moved faster then the eye could follow, kind of like running except you're moving faster then the speed of light), appeared on a blanch near by, all earlier sadness gone in the presence of a possible enemy. Bracing his feet, Harry landed lightly on the ground.

Only to quickly jump again as a clawed hand swiped at where he and Ron had just been. Dust flew into the air at both fast movements and as Harry landed once more, putting down Ron and pushing the young Wizard behind him, he watched as a figure was relieved as the dust settled. Only to stare when the being was completely in view.

At first glance one would probably conclude that the being standing on the damp forest floor was a vampire. But upon closer inspection your could tell this was not so. The being was humanoid and pale like a vampire, but unlike a vampire it had sickly white, clammy looking skin where a vampire's skin was pale, but healthy. Also the creature's skin had a scaled look to it.

The creature was tall and incredibly thin with haggard looking long black nails that looked more like claws and that, as Harry watched, retracted into their fingers much like a cats. It was wearing a long black trench coat that had been slitted many times along the bottom, a pair of dark blue slacks that were ripped in several places and a plain blue shirt the same color as the pants. It also had long, wild looking dark green hair that fell slightly past the shoulders. Harry opened his mouth to speak, in case it was a vampire and therefore sentient, until it raised it's head and looked at him. Harry froze.

The creature had the reddest eyes Harry had ever seen. Except the eyes weren't a bright red like scarlet or crimson. They were blood red, like the eye had bled over the iris. In contrast the pupil was a neon blue and was irregular, like it had jagged lines through it. The creature's face had the defined form of a human's, but was rough looking with chapped black lips that had sharp, pointed pure white teeth behind them. But the most noticeable feature the creature possessed was what looked like a piece of a black broken skull mask on it's head, as if it used to cover the creature's face but was somehow shattered.

"Who are you? What are you?" Kiryan asked in a cold voice as Harry continued to stare in shock. The creature turned its gaze from Harry to her. But when it looked like it was going to answer a silky voice cut it off.

"You must excuse Arnious, he let his enthusiasm get the best of him. We are merely observers sent to gather information." The voice said from above them. Harry, Kiryan, and Ron looked up.

The first thing Harry noticed was that there was another one of those creatures floating above them. But where the first creature had long green hair this one had short cropped blue hair and looked older and more human then the other one. But it had the same blood red eyes and black skull mask-like crown.

Then Harry noticed the being levitating slightly above the second creature.

The first thing that Harry noticed about the man was that he was drop dead gorgeous.

The man looked nothing like the other two creatures. He had long flowing pure white hair that had a slight blue tint to it and that fell past his shoulders and down to his lower back in waves, like water. He was tall with lithe muscles, and was clad from head to toe in white soft looking leather that was hemmed in a pale blue, white leather boots, and a silk white cape. His skin was also pale, but was a healthy pale that practically glowed. But the most distinguishing part of him was his eyes, which were an exotic and impossible sapphire, like the sky when dawn was first breaking. A blue that an artist would die for. And not only was the color unnerving, so were the pupils; they were slit, like a cat's. The first thing that came to mind when Harry saw this man was one word.

Ice.

If all the snow and ice had come together to form a being, it would be this man.

Then Harry noticed something. The beings ears, which happened to be pierced and were sporting small sapphires that only added to the man's exotic looks, were pointed at the tips.

"Are you an Elf?" Harry blurted before he could stop himself. The being, who had been watching Kiryan, turned his icy sapphire gaze to Harry.

"You're very observant, young Lestran. But I am not the type of Elf you are thinking of." The being answered in the same silky voice that had spoken before. Harry immediately identified Voice Magics intertwined with the musical tone.

At the being's answer Kiryan tensed. "What you claim is impossible. There is only one other type of Elf and they were sealed into an everlasting sleep a thousand years ago."

"You're right, we were."the being stated calmly.

"Then how did you escape?" Kiryan asked challengingly. The man smiled.

"Simple. We were released."

Silence filled the clearing as that statement sunk in.

"Impossible." Kiryan said in a whisper. "That Seal could only be broken by a creature that wielded the same power as the creatures in which it contained. But all of your kind was caught in the spell, so how–"

"You're partially right. The Seal _could_ only be broken by one of our kind. But you're missing one small factor."

"And what's that?"

"Not all of our kind was caught in the Seal."

"What do you mean?" Kiryan said exasperated. "Of course all of your kind was caught in the Seal, there's no way they could have got around... it ..."

Harry looked over at Kiryan in concern as she faltered. Only to see her staring wide eyed at the man.

"No." she whispered then added with more force, "NO! It's impossible, he was imprisoned. I was there, I was there when he was locked in the Void. I saw it with my own eyes–"

"He escaped." the man said bluntly cutting Kiryan off. "I know the being in which you are referring to. He is our Lord and Prince and you are correct; he is the one that freed us. And just for the record, he's not in the Void anymore; he escaped five days ago."

Kiryan stood there gaping at the man while Harry tried to puzzle together what they were talking about. Finally giving up since he wasn't getting anywhere Harry looked back up toward the man, who was looking at Kiryan with amusement.

"Speaking of which, 'just for the record' who are you?" Harry called up to the man. The being turned his gaze from Kiryan and looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow, still looking amused.

"My apologies, little Lestran, pardon my manners. I am Malikie and I am what is called a Nerous."

"Nerous?" Harry repeated.

"That's the fancy term." Kiryan said obviously over her shock. "Nerous's are more commonly known as Dark Elves."

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Lily Potter gazed at her daughter and the young Grim, both who were laying on the grass next to th lake. Or more accurately, Stephano was laying on the grass while Rose was brushing his fur. But every once in a while Stephano would raise his head and look toward the forest, as if sensing something they did not. The wolf was definitely edgy. But then, for some reason, so was she. But probably for a different reason.

Lily just didn't get it. No matter how many times she had told herself she was being ridiculous she just couldn't get over the weird feeling of jealously that had surged through her when Harry Halisio's eyes had lit up at the sight of the Elf Princess Kiryan. It didn't make any sense to her, especially when she had instantly liked Kiryan and didn't know Harry that well.

Maybe it was just nerves. After all, she had been outside watching Chase jerkily flying around the pitch all day yesterday and had forgot to pick up her daughter, which made her feel very ashamed of herself, especially since she had promised herself that she would be a better mother after losing Harry.

Harry.

Lily's eyebrows creased before she shook her head. Just because they shared a named didn't mean her son was the same person as Harry Halisio. After all it wasn't... like...

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_Sirius blinked. "Well, he was a really bright boy for his age, knew words I didn't even know existed. He had really strange coloring, not really shades you would expect to see on a human. Especially his eyes, they were a type of green I had never seen before. Sometimes if you looked at them at them at a specific angle you could see veins of gold and silver running through them. They were really beautiful and really expressive, always seemed to glow when he was happy. Also his hair was long and was a type of raven black that reflected colors off of it."_

_"What was he like?" Lily asked, gibby. Sirius blinked again._

_"Well, he was very athletic. He ran every morning and every night. And the times he wasn't found exercising he would be reading. His room was always full of books, spell books, school books, Muggle novels, you name it. And you could always hold a conversation with him, it didn't matter what type. Politics, sports, games, news, he was always up to date. He also had a killer sense of humor, even cracked a few adult jokes every once in a while."_

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"Oh, _God._" Lily whispered. No, it couldn't be. But... it fit. Harry Halisio's hair was raven black and did reflect the colors. He had a lean, athletic body and Lily had personally seen him out running in the mornings. He could definitely hold a conversation about and had some of the top scores of his year.

But the most important part was his eyes.

_Especially his eyes, they were a type of green I had never seen before. Sometimes if you looked at them at them at a specific angle you could see veins of gold and silver running through them. _

It explained his eyes perfectly.

Lily leaned against the wall for support, trying and failing to control her breathing. Could it be? Could Harry Halisio really be her son? But how? He had been proclaimed dead that night when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated. But then, they had never found his body, only strange runes marked on the floor.

Of course, the runes on the floor.

Maybe something went wrong and Harry was sent somewhere else instead for being killed. But had Voldemort purposely sent him away. No, that didn't make sense, Harry could have been the one the Prophecy was referring to–

Lilly's breath caught in her throat.

_Harry could have been the one the Prophecy was referring to._

Was it possible? Had Dumbledore been wrong about the Prophecy referring to Chase? Lilly was about to dismiss that thought when something occurred to her; Harry wouldn't be alive if Dumbledore had been right.

But that would make Harry the Boy-Who-Lived. And their, the Potters, entire lives a lie.

Especially Chase's. How was he going to react when he found out Harry was the true Chosen One? After all, it made perfect sense now since Harry definitely had the power to back up the title.

So then what happened now? If Harry was really her son and the Chosen One, what could she do? She had no proof and it wasn't like she should just start telling people like James and Sirius and Remus...

Sirius and Remus.

Oh, why hadn't she seen it before? The way they acted around Harry, treating him with familiarity and love. Always teasing and talking with him, and not just in a way a professor would a student.

They knew.

Well, of course they knew. And it made sense now, why she didn't see the shadows of grief in their eyes anymore when she looked into them. How Sirius was able to talk so easily about Harry months ago when she had questioned him. They knew Harry was alive and here, at this school where they could be with him.

It also now made sense why they had decided to stay behind and wait at the vault that day. They had recognized Harry and stayed behind to confront him.

It was strange how all the puzzle pieces where now falling together. But what now made her curious was to why she hadn't figured it out before.

"Hey darling, What are you doing? You look completely fazed out." a deep voice sounded, cutting into her thoughts. Lily looked up and met James's hazel eyes.

"Just thinking." Lily replied, turning to look back out the window at Rose and Stephano. James followed her gaze and his eyes darkened

"You really shouldn't let Rose play with a Dark creature like that, it's dangerous."

Lily shot her husband an annoyed look. "A; Stephano isn't Dark and B; Rose is perfectly fine, she's played with Stephano many times before and he has never hurt her, or even threatened to hurt her."

James gave her a blank look. "That thing has a name?"

Lily huffed and became irritated. "Of course he has a name. If you had actually paid attention to anything this year you would have noticed that."

James put his hands in the air in a surrender gesture. "No need to be touchy. Whether or not that thing has a name doesn't matter."

"What does that mean?" Lily snapped, facing her husband head on. But just before James could answer a voice cut him off.

"Come on Remus, would you at least slow down?" Sirius's voice sounded as the duo came into view. Remus was quickly walking at a fast pace, seeming completely out of it even though his footsteps were sure and steady. Sirius was jogging behind him in an effort to keep up. "Hey Sirius, Remus, what are you two...up ... to..." James started before trailing off as Remus walked by him without sparing him a glance. Sirius swept by them with a quick "Sorry, but gotta run." before following the unwavering wolf out the front of the school. James stood staring after them for a second before whistling.

"Wow, tough crowd." he said before turning back toward Lily, only to find she was halfway down the hall.

Lily paused in her stride for a second, before looking at the entrance doors Remus and Sirius had disappeared through. Yes, she was almost positive they knew. But since they were obviously not going to share with anyone, then she wasn't either.

Doesn't mean she wasn't going to give them a tongue lashing though.

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"_Dark_ Elves? How is that even possible? And what makes them different from regular Elves?" Harry asked Kiryan, not letting his eyes stray from the creature, newly dubbed Arnious, who was still standing a little ways from him, smirking at him with his pointed teeth.

Surprisingly, it was their nameless companion with the blue hair that answered.

"How dare you even compare us to that lot of weaklings! The power we wield is greater and stronger then the magics of those goody-goods." he sneered, making his face look even more horrendous. Harry could feel Ron tense even more behind him.

"Of course it is, that's why we were able to lock you up for a thousand years." Kiryan said mockingly and Harry suddenly realized what she was doing; she was trying to distract them so their attention would be off him and Ron.

Unfortunately things never go as planned.

"Why are we still talking with these weaklings? I'm hungry, when can we eat?" Arnious cut in, looking straight at Harry and Ron. Malikie, who had apparently decided to perch on a branch instead of hovering for the time being, sighed in irritation.

"Were you not paying attention to our instructions? We have to bring back the Lestran and the Elf Princess alive." Malikie said looking pointedly at Arnious. Arnious grumbled something before his eyes looked past Harry.

"And what about that human? Do we have to take him alive too?"Arnious asked licking his lips. Ron had gone completely rigged behind Harry as Malikie turned his frosted blue eyes on him.

"No, I don't believe there was mention of any humans in the assignment."

"So I can eat him?" Arnious asked leaning forward, causing Harry to shift into a defense position and Kiryan to do likewise. All in all, the situation did not look good; Kiryan was too far away to get to Harry before Arnious, but if she moved toward them she would let her defenses down, which would enable the other two to strike. And Harry had a feeling that, with that creature's speed and strength, he wouldn't be able to stop it, magically or physically, from getting by him. Because he had a feeling that if the creature struck, it would get him out of the way first.

Harry was snapped back to reality by Malikie's voice. "If you must. Personally, I see nothing appetizing about humans, disgusting beings they are."

"They smell perfectly appetizing to me." As soon as the response left his mouth Anious's figure blurred and Harry had a millisecond's notice before he felt claws rake into his side. Pain alighted his senses, but didn't distract him. The moment Arnious's claws had struck him he had used the Dark Elf's momentum to knock Ron to the ground and land an awkward kick to Arnious's side before hitting the ground himself. He heard the rustle of leaves before Arnious appeared a little ways away from them, rubbing his side.

"What do you know, the kid's got reflexes." their blue haired companion commented, obviously finding the whole thing amusing. "Hey Arnious, I think you're losing your touch."

"Shut up." Arnious hissed, glaring at Harry. "Lucky shot, just don't think you'll land one again."

Harry didn't think so either, especially with the way his ankle was throbbing. What was their skin _made_ of? It felt like hitting a concrete wall. He would be lucky if he could stand right now. It was a good thing it hadn't been a good kick; he would have probably broken his toes and ankle.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ron look at him worriedly but he focused his eyes back on Arnious, who rolled his head and shoulders in a circular motion.

"Well, since it appears you're a one hit wonder, I can get back to my meal now." Harry felt his heart skip a beat. No, _NO._ He had to do something, anything to protect Ron. But he couldn't move and the slash on his side which was bleeding profusely was making his vision blur. Never in his life had he felt so defenseless.

Then Arnious's figure blurred again and Harry felt a scream hitch in his throat as Arnious reached toward Ron.

Only to be stopped was another blur shot out of the forest and slammed against him, knocking him backwards and away from them.

The two rolled and broke apart as fast as they had collided, facing each other with snarls on their faces. It took Harry a moment to identify the second person, but when he did he just sat there gaping and blinking in disbelief.

_Remus?_

It was indeed Remus, but for the life of him Harry couldn't connect this snarling and growling man to the kind and caring one he knew. Then Harry saw his eyes and he understood. Remus's wolf had taken over, and since he viewed Harry and, as of lately, Ron as part of his pack, Mooney wasn't too happy at the moment.

Arnious, who was now the one holding a bloody side (How had Remus done that? Harry wondered) hissed at Remus and leapt at him. Only to be knocked aside again by a black blur.

Of course. Where Remus was, Sirius wasn't far behind.

The large black dog quickly leapt away from Arnious's sharp claws and backed away while growling, coming to a stop in front of Harry and Ron and giving Remus a clear view. Arnious immediately shot to his feet and hissed in a way that was surprisingly similar to a snake.

"What the hell? He didn't say anything about a bloody werewolf being here." Arnious snarled, but didn't go any closer. Werewolves were known for being merciless and vicious creatures when angered. But what made them really dangerous was the fact that when they let their wolf take over, even if they were ripped to pieces they would keep going after what ever they where hunting until they killed it. Which made Remus pretty dangerous right now, making the fact that he was supposedly a wizard obsolete, now that his wolf was in charge.

"What are you complaining about? What, scared of a little wolf? Besides, it makes things interesting." The blue haired Dark Elf said smirking. Harry cast a glance at Malikie to see the white haired Dark Elf still perched on the branch with his arms crossed. But Harry had a feeling that Malikie wasn't paying attention solely to the fight if his stance was anything to go by. He was also paying attention to his, Ron's, and Kiryan's movements. And by the irritated and helpless look on Kiryan's face, she knew it too.

At the snapping of a stick Harry returned his attention to the fight in time to see Remus launch himself toward Arnious once more. After they connected the fight became a blur of movement. After about a minute the two broke apart again.

Arnious had more gashes now but had apparently landed a few hits of his own from the condition Remus was in. Harry didn't know how long Remus could last against the strength and speed of the Dark Elf and from Sirius's whine, he was worried two. Werewolves, while in human form, didn't have as much stamina as they did in wolf form. And from how much blood was pouring out of Remus's wounds, he wouldn't be able to go on for much longer.

Arnious by now had gone into a crouching position and looked more animalistic then human by now. But as he began to move (which had caused Harry, Sirius, and Ron to hold their breath) a blur landed in front of him, causing him to pause and glare.

"Since you seem to be having such a difficult time with the wolf, why don't I take it from here? After all you're not looking so well." stated the blue haired Dark Elf as he cast Arnious an amused look. Arnious looked at him and growled.

"I can take care of it. So get out of my way." he hissed. His blue haired companion raised an eyebrow.

"Doubtful seeing the condition you're in. So why don't you sit back and let the professionals handle this." Harry had a millisecond's notice before the blue haired being blurred and even less time to watch helplessly as he jumped on Remus.

This Dark Elf obviously had more experience then his companion as he easily avoided Remus as the wolf swiped at his head. Remus was pushed to the ground in seconds but managed to roll out of the way before the Dark Elf's hand plunged into the ground right where Remus's chest had been. Remus rolled to his feet and leapt at the Dark Elf, only to swerve to avoid a tree as the being streaked out of the way and made another swipe at him.

Now it definitely wasn't looking good. Remus was badly injured while his new opponent didn't even have a scratch. At the way things were going Remus would be down in minutes.

But Harry really didn't want to lose him. He had already lost Remus and Sirius once and had just got them back. So he'd be dammed if he was just going to sit there and watch this creature tear Remus apart.

Grabbing hold of the tree branch next to him Harry hauled himself painfully to his feet, shutting off the nerve endings in his injured ankle so the pain wouldn't distract him. A growl to his left caused him to look up and meet Sirius's clear blue eyes. Apparently the black dog had come to the same conclusion as him but didn't want him getting hurt. Harry gave the dog a reassuring smile before an idea struck him.

"I have a plan but I need your help." he whispered. Sirius gave him a suspicious look but nodded all the same. Harry the closed his eyes and reached out.

Upon touching the Dark Elf's mind Harry almost recoiled but resisted the urge from fear that the Dark Elf would notice him. The creature's mind was a whirlwind of rage and death that was filled with a excitement of making the kill.

Well, not if Harry could help it.

The moment the Dark Elf went to strike Remus Harry struck at its mind, lashing out with a wave of wild magic straight at his Inner core. The Dark Elf had obviously not been prepared for such an attack and stumbled.

Remus and Sirius didn't hesitate. Once the Dark Elf stumbled they were both on him, scratching and biting like their lives depended on it. But Harry didn't relax or hesitate, hitting the creature with another wave of chaotic power. This one, however, crashed against a strong mental barrier that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Harry had no warning was he was violently ripped out of the creature's mind and thrown back into his body.

Harry came to in a daze, but a whimper and the shrill _crack_ of something braking caused Harry's head to jerk up. The Dark Elf had gotten a good hold of one of Sirius's legs and had snapped the bone, causing Sirius to freeze up from the sudden pain. But that was all the creature needed. Harry watched in horror and the Dark Elf lifted Sirius and flung him into a large tree. Harry felt a gasp leave his lips as Sirius's back connected with the tree with a _snap _before the large dog fell limply to the ground.

Harry wanted to cry, to run to his godfather to see if he was okay. But he knew if he moved or became distracted Remus would suffer the same fate. Harry tried once more to touch the Dark Elf's mind, but ran into the same barrier that had blocked him before. But now that he had time to analyze it he realized that it wasn't a natural part of the Dark Elf's defenses.

In fact, it felt icy and cold to the touch.

Just as Harry realized this he was thrown out of the Dark Elf's mind again. But he had been anticipating it this time and swerved.

Malikie was looking at him with amusement and waved a finger at him. Of course. Malikie had noticed him attacking the blue haired Dark Elf's mind and had blocked him and kicked him out. Although admittedly, Harry wasn't that surprised. Malikie did seem like he had the power to do something like that.

But that put them at a huge disadvantage. With Malikie protecting the Dark Elf's mind, Harry couldn't distract it and give Remus an opening. Which the werewolf desperately needed in his condition. Suddenly Remus staggered, his injuries becoming to much.

The Dark Elf didn't hesitate and threw itself at Remus, knocking him to the ground.

"This ends now." it hissed raising it's clawed hand over Remus's neck.

"NO!" Harry shouted.

And a bolt of light streaked out of the forest and connected with the Dark Elf's upraised arm, slicing through the wrist.

The Dark Elf screeched as it's hand fell away, leaping to its feet and away from Remus. But it wasn't quick enough to avoid the second bolt of light, which struck its shoulder blade, shattering it on impact.

Harry and everyone else had froze. Them Harry forced himself to focus and concentrated on the magic surrounding the shattered shoulder. Harry's eyes widened.

_I know that magical signature. _

Then there was a rustle of leaves to their left and Harry swerved around, relief sweeping through him.

Angelus Serafious stepped out into the clearing, his intense violet gaze focused on the blue haired Dark Elf. But a sudden commotion caused Harry to glace away. Kiryan, upon noticing Serafious's arrival, had launched a magical attack at Malikie, who now had to turn away from the fight in order to face her. Serafious took the distraction she created to propel himself toward the injured Dark Elf, slashing through its side with his hand as if it was made of hot butter.

The Dark Elf snapped back to reality and leapt away before the Ancient could slice him in half before slashing at the vampire with his good hand. The Dark Elf was fast, but Serafious was faster, avoiding the attack and hitting the Dark Elf's other side, causing it to hiss in pain.

Harry had to admit, Serafious and Kiryan made a great team. Kiryan kept Malikie distracted and away from everyone else while Serafious went for the kills. Which probably meant they had done this in battle before and had their roles down.

But Harry wasn't about to just sit there and play damsel. With Malikie distracted, he now had an opening.

Serafious hit the creature's shattered shoulder at the same time Harry lashed out at its mind. The Dark Elf gave an unearthly scream before it staggered. Serafious then moved to the side and plunged his hand into the creature's chest. Harry almost jumped in triumph until he saw a blur to the side and his shout caught in his throat.

They had forgotten about Arnious.

But when two blurs shot by Harry, one black, the other one white, Harry realized he didn't have to worry.

Arnious didn't even make it to Serafious as the two blurs collided with him and sent him tumbling. As they stopped Harry watched as Rowan and Hedwig jumped away, avoiding his claws, before both darted back in, Hedwig using her sharp claws to rake at his eyes as Rowan's teeth penetrated his neck.

Arnious roared and lashed out, causing both to jump away again. But as Arnious staggered to his feet, Rowan dove toward him wings folded in front of her.

Harry saw the second the claws on Rowan's wings connected with Arnious by the way his body stiffened as the paralysis venom in the claws took place. But instead of incapacitating him like it should have, it seem to have just slowed him down and made him angrier. He lashed out at the two again, but this time Rowan hadn't been prepared, allowing Arnious to wrap his hand around her neck.

Harry tried desperately to get his foot to support him, but knew he wouldn't make it in time, so could only watch helplessly as Arnious's hand tightened around Rowan's neck.

And blink when a large tree branch came out of nowhere and collided with Arnious's head, causing him to loose his grip on Rowan and letting her fall bonelessly to the ground. Arnious swerved and Harry got a clear view of his attacker.

Ron stood straight, the large tree branch in his hands now swinging around once more. Arnious tried to dodge the second blow, but Rowan's paralysis had definitely taken effect now and considerably limited his speed, disabling him from dodging and allowing Ron's attack to connect once more, sending him sprawling. Ron did not hesitate and connected three more blows to Arnious's head before deciding he was as unconscious as he was going to get.

Harry watched as Ron dropped the branch and picked up Rowan. Through all the commotion Ron must had gotten around Harry without him noticing and grabbed the branch. Obviously he hadn't forgotten about Arnious if his position had been anything to go by.

Now that that was settled and Harry could feel Rowan's life signature through the master-familiar bond indicating that she was just unconscious, Harry turned back to the fight in time to see Serafious pull his hand out of the creature's chest and leap away. The creature jerked before placing a hand dumbly to its chest and looking dazedly at Serafious. Harry understood a few moments later when he looked at Serafious's blood covered hand.

Resting it his palm was a black still-beating heart.

The creature screeched and launched itself toward him, but before it got close the organ was consumed in a raging blue fire. As the organ burned Harry watched as the creature slowed its movements before promptly freezing.

And then dissolving into ashes.

'_Oh, so that's how you kill them.'_

Harry didn't know wether the thought was his or Ron's.

A sharp gasp snapped all of them back to attention and Harry looked around in time to see Kiryan get knocked into a tree, ice crystals all around her and a long icicle spear lodged in her arm, pinning her to the tree. A hiss from Rowan, who had obviously regained consciousness, caused him to look back toward her, Ron, and Hedwig in time to see Malikie appear beside them and pick the unconscious Arnious up by the back of his shirt. Before any of them could move Malikie launched himself into the air.

"Well, this meeting has truly been enlightening, but seeing as our time is up we really must be going. It's been a pleasure meeting you all." As he spoke, Malikie slashed the air in front of him. Then out of nowhere a circular red colored portal, as high and wide has he was tall, appeared in front of him and he stepped into it with Arnious. As it began to close he gave them a small salute.

"Until we meet again of course. Oh and Lord Serafious, Obsidian sends his regards." and with that, the portal closed, leaving them staring up at the sky after it.

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Summary

The chapter starts out with Remus having a strange feeling that something was going to go wrong and Sirius questioning and worrying about his friend. Then in the middle of their conversation Remus suddenly gets up and leaves the room, leaving Sirius no choice but to follow him.

Then it switches to a cavern with a large red orb that serves as a looking glass (and has the image of Hogwarts in it )and three mysterious voices having a conversation about a mission and whether of not to kill someone. After two of the voices get silenced by the third the three agree to start their mission.

Then it switches back to Kiryan, Harry, and Ron, the first two still upset about the attack on Master Kaden. Harry is trying to reassure Kiryan when they are attacked by a strange, scaled being with green hair, blood red eyes, and a black skull crown-like mask on its head. This creature is then referred to as Arnious by one of the other two beings with him. This being, who introduces himself as Malikie later on, looks like the opposite of Arnious's hideous appearance, with long white hair that is tinted blue, sapphire eyes, and a sculptured face and body that give him an otherworldly beautiful appearance and causes Harry to believe he is the embodiment of ice. The third creature looks hideous like Arnious with blue hair and the same red eyes.

When Harry notices that Malikie has pointed ears, he asks if he is an Elf. Malikie states that Harry is observant and that he is indeed an Elf, just not the type Harry is thinking of. Kiryan then cuts in stating that is impossible and that the type of Elf he is referring to has been locked into an eternal slumber for a thousand years. Malikie admits this is true but then states they were released by their Prince (who is Obsidian for anyone who didn't catch it) who has freed himself from the Void. Harry is confused and questions Malikie, who responds that he is a Nerous. Kiryan corrects him, saying that's the fancy term, and calls him a Dark Elf.

Then the scene goes to Lilly, who is watching Rose play with Stephano out a window and pondering over why she had felt jealous about Harry's reaction to Kiryan. She then blames it on nerves and thinks about how she had felt bad when she had forgotten Rose, especially since she had promised herself to be a better mother since Harry died. Then she realizes that Harry Halisio reminded her of her son, but when she started to convince herself otherwise she remembers what Sirius had said about how Harry looked and acted when he was young and realizes that Harry Halisio and her son were the same person, thus realizing that Harry was most possibly the Chosen One. She then realized that Sirius and Remus knew all along. Then she was thinking that it was weird that she hadn't puzzled it out before. As she is pondering this James shows up and comments on her spaciness, then on Rose being with Stephano. Lilly defends Stephano and as James is about to respond, Remus and Sirius sweep by them and out the door. Lilly then decides not to spill Harry's secret but to talk to Remus and Sirius later.

The scene then goes back to the forest where Harry's wondering about Dark Elves and Kiryan is trying to distract the Dark Elves away from the kids. But it goes wrong when Arnious states he is hungry and Malikie says they are not allowed to eat Harry or Kiryan. But then Arnious asks about Ron and Malikie says theres no problem with him. Arnious then attacks but Harry is able to land a kick on his side, but not before Arnious rakes a large slash on his side. Harry had knocked him and Ron to the ground but due to the hardness of the Dark Elf's skin, had sprained his ankle from the kick he had delivered. The nameless blue haired Dark Elf mocks Arnious, who goes in for another try for Ron; only to be knocked back again by Remus, who had tracked them through the forest and let his wolf, Mooney, take full control so that he could protect Harry and Ron. Arnious went to attack Remus when Sirius as Padfoot knocks him over before taking a protective stance over Harry and Ron. The nameless Dark Elf mocks Arnious again and Arnious and Remus begin to fight, each landing good blows. Harry notices that Malikie kept out of the fight, but positioned himself on a branch near Kiryan so that if she had tried to help Remus he could stop her. Then when Remus and Arnious break apart the nameless Dark Elf interferes and takes Arnious's place in the fight, gaining the upper hand since Remus was already injured.

Realizing that Remus was going to lose at that rate Harry and Sirius team up, Harry striking at the Dark Elf's mind as Sirius attacks him physically. It works at first, but then Harry's second attack is blocked and he is thrown out of the Dark Elf's mind. Meanwhile, the Dark Elf, now able to concentrate, grabs Sirius and breaks his leg before throwing him hard into a tree and breaking his back. With Sirius now out of the fight Harry tries to enter the Dark Elf's mind again, only to realize that he is being blocked by Malikie. This put them at a disadvantage and when Remus staggers from his injuries the Dark Elf is instantly on him and preparing for the final blow.

This blow, however, is interrupted when a ray of light cuts off his hand, causing him to spring backwards and allowing the second ray to strike and shatter his shoulder. Harry recognizes the attack as Serafious steps out of the forest and joins the fight. Due to his injuries Remus is down for the count too, so Serafious takes his place, easily overpowering the Dark Elf. Meanwhile Kiryan, who had acted as if Serafious's arrival had acted as some sort of signal, started attacking Malikie to distract him away from Serafious's fight. With Malikie distracted, he is unable to shield the Dark Elf's mind and Harry is able to hit him mentally with a blast of power, enabling Serafious to get through his defenses and plunge his hand into the Dark Elf's chest.

Harry then notices Arnious trying to sneak up on Serafious, but Rowan and Hedwig intercepts him. Rowan hits him with her paralysis, but it doesn't immediately take effect, causing her to be caught by the neck. Ron, who had apparently crossed the clearing while the battle had raged to get at Arnious, managed to hit Arnious in the head several times and knock him out since Rowan's paralysis had then taken affect. He then picks up Rowan and cheacks if she is okay.

Harry turns his attention back to Serafious, who had extracted his hand and leapt away from the nameless Dark Elf. The creature staggers and Harry realizes that Serafious has its still beating heart in his hand. He sets it on fire and as it burns to ashes, so does the Dark Elf, effectively killing it. They are then disturbed by a gasp and turn to see Kiryan pinned to a tree by an ice spear lodged in her arm. At Rowan's warning they see Malikie appear beside Arnious and pick him up by the back of his shirt before launching skyward. Malikie then opens a portal, saying that their time was up and they must be leaving, then stepping into the portal. But before it disappears Malikie says that they will meet again and that Obsidian sends his regards to Serafious. Then they are all left staring at the sky.

End summary

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Well, what do you think? If you're still confused about anything you can ask via review and I'll try to answer. I know I just added more characters but for the record, these guys work for Obsidian. And remember Malikie, he's going to be appearing often.

Anyway, please review. I love hearing from you guys and if you have any ideas for future chapters, I would love to hear them. They always give me ideas and help me when I have writers block.


	17. Back to the Beginning

Well, I'm proud of myself. This time I didn't make everyone wait almost a year. I'm still sorry about that by the way. Anyway, this chapter is mainly information, so sorry about that. But I had to write it so you guys won't look at me in utter bewilderment later on because I've lost you. The good news is you'll find out who Obsidian is finally.

Anyway, onto the chapter.

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Serafious felt the moment Harry's presence lifted as he fainted. Instinctively Orbing to where his young charge was he caught him before he hit the ground and lifted him into his arms before raising his head and looking back up at the sky.

So, Obsidian was actually able to free the rest of his race this time. That complicated things. Especially if he was able to do it so quickly. Fortunately, it should take the Dark Elves a while to become back in tune with their Black Magic, so at the moment only Obsidian was the major threat. And if they managed to seal the Dark Elves back into an everlasting sleep before they fully regained their power, they could avoid Apocalypse. No pressure, of course.

Serafious sighed and remembered his surprise when he had laid his eyes on the Ice General, Malikie. But then again he shouldn't have been surprised. Obsidian knew of his history with the ice Dark Elf, about how Malikie was always the one who managed to escape him and death again and again. Come to think of, Obsidian had probably been the one to purposely send Malikie to mock Serafious and his inability to catch and kill the powerful General.

Resisting the urge to sigh again, Serafious looked around at the others in the clearing. His eyes immediately landed on Kiryan where she was kneeling next to an unconscious man at the base of a tree. At the sight of her relief fulled him. Good, she was safe, if probably a little frustrated at losing against Malikie. He couldn't fault her though, for she had never met the Ice General before, nor knew his reputation.

His eyes then raised and looked over the others. The man that Kiryan was examining probably had a few broken bones and a broken spine, but was fortunately still breathing. The werewolf was definitely worse for wear and was presently on his hands and knees on the ground, probably trying to regain control over his wolf. But most of his wounds were external bleeding, so as long as they got him patched up he should be fine.

Serafious then looked at the red haired boy standing next to the werewolf holding the young Sable, Rowan, in his arms. Rowan would probably have bruising around the neck, but appeared to be okay and the red haired boy had a couple of bruises where he had hit the ground in his many falls, but was otherwise unharmed.

The boy, or Ron as Serafious's mind supplied when he lightly touched the boy's mind, had surprised him. Needless to say he had been as startled by Ron hitting Arnious as the Dark Elf had been. One would think he would have gone running and screaming through the forest as soon as there was an opening, not going behind enemy lines and delivering a weakening blow.

Then again, he was Harry's friend, which in itself explained a lot.

Serafious then looked down at Harry himself. It was no surprise that the young Lestran was unconscious. After all, where all the rest of them were fighting physically, Harry was attacking mentally, which took more power and concentration, especially against beings with powerful minds like the Dark Elves. Even for someone on the Martis level.

"Do you have control?" Serafious suddenly asked in the silent clearing, his gaze centered on the kneeling werewolf. The sudden voice made every conscious jump and look at him, including the werewolf, who's eyes were now an even brown.

"Yes, I believe so." the werewolf... no, Remus, according to Ron's mind, answered before painfully pulling himself to his feet. "Is Sirius okay?"

"For the most part and surprisingly, yes." Kiryan answered before sighing and standing, her hand going to her right arm where the wound caused by Malikie's ice spear was still bleeding. "Knowing what we were against, I believe we got off easily."

Serafious nodded before turning to Ron, Harry still unconscious in his arms, and nodded toward Sirius to levitate him. "So, where is the nearest medical center?"

00

00

The first thing Harry noticed when he came to was that his entire body felt like it had been hit by a two-by-four. The second thing was that he was not alone.

"Gees, I leave you two alone for an entire day and this happens." a female voice said not too far from him. It took him a minute to identify it as Hermione's voice.

"It's not our fault. They attacked us, remember?" That was Ron.

Wait, attacked? Then everything that happened came back and Harry shot upright, causing his side to pulse in pain.

"Sirius! What happened to him, is he okay?" Harry said opening his eyes and fighting down the nausea. The surprised faces of Ron and Hermione swam into view, before Madam Promphey tutted and rushed over to push Harry back onto the bed. Then Remus's face came into view and he gave Harry a tired smile.

"Sirius is fine right now. His spine and left arm were broken, but with a few potions and plenty of rest he was up and about as if nothing had happened. The one we were really worried about was you. When you went down when those two creatures disappeared, you really worried us."

"What do you mean? What happened?" Harry said, trying to remember. Truth be told when the Dark Elves had vanished and everyone was safe he kind of blacked out.

"To put it bluntly, you fainted." Ron said, walking over to them and sitting at the end of Harry's bed. "It's a good thing your guardian, Serafious, was still there. He caught you when you fell unconscious and between him, me, and Kestrel, who had appeared a little after you fainted, we were able to get you, Sirius, Remus, Rowan, and Kiryan back to the castle. It was kinda funny to see the professors faces when we walked through the door all bloody and carrying you guys. I'm pretty sure Madam Promphey almost had a heart attack when she saw us."

"Well, I'm glad someone got some amusement out of it, Ron." Hermione said folding her arms and glaring at him. "When I heard you guys were all in the infirmary, I almost had a coronary. Do you know how worried I was?"

"But we're all fine." Ron said defensively.

"All the same." A voice cut in and Harry turned to see Serafious walking toward then, wiping his hands on a towel. "You shouldn't have let your guard down enough to be caught by surprise. I've already given Kiryan this lecture, so it's plain to say I'm disappointed in both of you. From what I saw in your friend's memory" at this he indicated to Ron "There were several instances where you would have been captured or killed if the werewolf, Animagus, or myself hadn't interfered. Your lucky I was in the area and felt the battle of conflicting magics."

Harry looked down. "Yeah, I know. But those guys were strong, stronger then any opponent I've been against."

Serafious nodded. "The Dark Elves were a strong and powerful race before they were sealed away. It only makes sense that now that they are released that they have retained most of their powers. It's fortunate they can't launch an attack like that again for some time now."

At this Ron gave the Ancient a confused look. "Why not?"

"Because due to magic contracts that bind them, due to the type of power they wield, only a few are allowed in the human plain of existence for a certain amount of time. And from the magics they used in your fight, I'm betting those three used up a good amount. So it will probably be a while before any Dark Elf can leave their realm and enter this one."

"Thank you who ever made that rule. I don't think we could survive it if they were able to organize attacks like that one every day." Ron said leaning back on his hands. Harry couldn't help but agree.

At that moment Dumbledore, James, Chase, Snape, Flickwick, and McGonagall chose that moment to enter the room with a tired looking Sirius and a frustrated Kiryan on their heels. However, upon seeing Harry's conscious form Kiryan's eyes lit up and she rushed over to him with a similarly relieved Sirius.

The teachers, however, seemed content to give Serafious and, consequently, Harry, a wide birth at the moment. Harry couldn't blame them upon feeling the aggravated power radiating off the Ancient at the moment.

Dumbledore then cleared his throat. "It's good to see you up, Mr. Halisio. How do you feel?"

"Like I was attacked by a Dark Elf." Harry said flatly before looking up at Serafious. "What was that all about by the way?"

Serafious sighed. "That was another attempt to upset me. It seems that Obsidian wanted to strike another blow against me while I was trying to recover from the one with Master Kaden."

At Obsidian's name Kiryan gave a startled noise and swirled toward Serafious before promptly sitting on Harry's bed. "I was hoping I was wrong and _he _wasn't the one behind this. Is it really him?"

By now everyone in the room were looking at the two magical beings in confusion, even Harry.

"Who's Obsidian?" Harry asked, looking between Kiryan and Serafious.

"Obsidian is a Dark Elf, well the Prince of the Dark Elves to be more specific. He was also the only Dark Elf that wasn't sealed into eternal sleep a thousand years ago."

"Why not? It sounds to me that if you had sealed him away in the first place, you wouldn't be in this mess." McGonagall said folding her arms. Serafious turned his gaze to her and she flinched.

"If we had sealed him as well, the spell wouldn't have worked." At everyone's confused looks he went on. "In order for the Seal to work one of the race that you are sealing needs to exist outside of it, as a constant power source if you will, because they're bound to the Seal in order for it to stay effective. Consequently, you can't kill the Holder, as the person to whom the Seal is bound to is referred to as, because if the Holder dies, the Seal if broken and those sleeping, released."

"Why does the Holder have to be a Dark Elf? Why couldn't you do it?" Remus asked.

"Because the Seal needs to be able to pull from the exact power in which it is containing. In this case, Dark Elf magic and Black Magic. Because Dark Elves are the only ones with their type of magic, you need a Dark Elf Holder."

"But why Obsidian? Why not a Dark Elf you could easily control?" Hermione asked.

"Because Obsidian is their Prince and those of the royal family have the 'purist' form of their magic. If we had used another Dark Elf not of the Royal Family the Seal would have eventually cracked and broken because the power output by the Holder would have been insufficient."

"But that still doesn't explain why Obsidian is going after you specifically." Harry said pulling his knees forward and resting his chin on them. Truthfully he didn't like the idea of anyone going after Serafious.

Serafious sighed. "That's a little more complicated. You know how Dark Elves have a natural affinity to Black Magic, yes?" At this Harry, Ron, and Hermione (Harry had explained it to them via the link only moments ago when it was first mentioned) nodded while everyone else looked confused. Serafious ignored the others and focused on Harry. "That's because the Dark Elves created it, like the Natural Elves created White Magic. Or at least the bases of the branches, seeing as they have now expanded a lot since then. But Black Magic is the most violent and destructive magic in existence and because of this any of those with a nature affinity to it are driven to mimic it."

"They go insane." Hermione breathed looking shocked.

"It depends on your definition of insanity. In most cases they give up what I believe is referred to as a conscience. They no longer feel emotions such as guilt or pity, or even comradery or forgiveness. They truly become the ultimate killers and predators."

At the word 'predator' Ron shivered. "I don't suppose you know what they eat, do you?" "That's easy; blood, and meat from time to time. They're not really picky."

"Then how come Malikie said that Ron smelled disgusting?" Harry asked. Ron blushed and refused to meet anyone's eye.

"Oh, that's because Malikie is a General. I'm talking about the vast majority of Dark Elves, like Arnious and his dead companion. You see, the Dark Elves are sorted into a type of Cast System if you will. Most are like Arnious; reptilian looking with an insatiable hunger. They're not too smart, but are powerful and deadly all the same. I guess these would be the ones you would refer to as insane."

"As you go up the cast system the Dark Elves become more humanoid and deadly because the higher up they are, the more they control their powers instead of their powers controlling them. At the bottom are the 'Privates' as they refer to them, or 'canon fodder' as we refer to them. Then moving up there are the Corporals, then Sergeants, then Warrants, then Lieutenants, then Captains, then Majors, then Colonels, _then_ Generals."

"Sounds like the muggle army." Hermione said.

"Now you know where the muggles got it from." Serafious said dryly. "Anyway, the Generals are the rank right below the Royal Family, which makes them the second most powerful type of Dark Elf. Generals also tend to not only be fluent with the Dark Elf power and Black Magic, but with a certain element, in which their power and appearance take after."

"Like Malikie and ice." Harry said. Serafious nodded.

"You noticed that then. Yes, Malikie's element is ice."

"Anyway, back onto Obsidian." Harry said. Serafious went back to being serious.

"Well, as you know Obsidian is of Royal blood, so consequently it would take him longer to fall under the 'insanity' of the Black Magic. So a thousand years ago he was still 'sane' for the most part, even though he had already lived a couple thousand years by then. So knowing the destructive nature of his people, he agreed to let the High Council, that's the council made up of all magical beings, use him as the Holder of the Seal and send his people into eternal slumber."

"Okay, I'm lost. If he agreed to let them use him as the Holder and seal his own people, then why would he release them? And why is he mad at _you_?"

"That's because of what happened afterwards. It was after the sealing that I met him. The Council had assigned him to Master Kaden in the hopes that with the constant presence of White Magic, the influence of the Black Magic would diminish, as would his chances of going 'insane'. At the time I was also Kaden's apprentice, and since Obsidian and I were the only apprentices that Kaden had, we spent a lot of time together and quickly became good friends."

"However, much to the Council's displeasure, the White Magic was only able to hold off the Black Magic for 942 years. Fifty-eight years ago Obsidian finally fell to the curse of his people and lost all emotion. Due to this, he became twisted, and sought to free his people once more, swaying many to his cause saying the world would be richer with the Dark Elves in it."

Serafious paused then looked down at the clothe in his hands. "Needless to say it was a very long and bloody war that lasted about eight years. The final battle finally took place at Abicus Hill, which lasted for days. Thousands lost their lives at that hill. It was there that I realized what I had to do. You see, I had known Obsidian for centuries and he was like a brother to me. And even though he had submitted to the Black Magic, I had still foolishly held on to the hope that my friend would come back. But battle made me realize that, that was not going to happen and that I had to stop him to stop the senseless killing."

As Serafious paused again Kiryan nodded. "I remember that, when you came back to the Council with that crazy idea of yours. I also recall that was the first time we met. I remember thinking that you and your idea were so reckless and foolish that they might actually work."

Serafious gave a small smile. "Yes, it was rather foolish. I'm not going to get into detail about it, but the end result was using my connection with Obsidian to send him into the Void."

"The Void?"

The place of eternal Nothingness. It's said to be the place were everything began, and exists between time and space. But it was the only option we had left. After all, we still needed Obsidian to be alive in order for the Seal to continue to exist."

"Obsidian spent the last 50 years in the Void, but was somehow able to escape it five days ago. And now he wants revenge against me, because I was the key to his imprisonment. He wants to take from my life what I took from his; happiness, or his equivalent of it anyway. In other words, Harry and Kiryan."

"Will he attack the school or near it again to get to Harry?" McGonagall demanded seriously.

"No. Obsidian _despises _being repetitive, so he will not attack the school again, even if Harry is here. But I have no doubt he'll try to capture Harry as soon as he leaves. But that won't happen for a good while now since Malikie used up a lot of their time in this dimension. I'd give it a half a year to a year until they can act again."

As Serafious finished Harry sighed and leaned down to rub his forehead. Then something occurred to him and he looked back up at Serafious. "What I don't get is how this Obsidian was able to defeat Master Kaden. I mean, Kaden was a _Master_! Someone who's reached Nexis Level! And he was very proficient at White magic too! How could he have been beaten?"

Serafious sighed and placed the clothe still in his hands on a table near him. "Just because one reaches Nexis doesn't mean they are immune to failure. But that is not why Kaden lost." At this Serafious shot a meaningful look at Harry. "Kaden lost because it was his Leeway Time."

Harry had to take a moment for this to process before his eyes widened. Beside him he heard Kiryan gasp in recognition before she promptly stood up from his bed and walked over to slump into the chair next to his bed and put her head into her hands. At her movement everyone else in the room looked at the three magical creatures in confusion.

Finally it was Ron who spoke up. "Leeway Time? What is that? What do you mean?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer but surprisingly it was Kiryan that answered. "Leeway Time is the one weakness that all those who reach Nexis possess." She said raising her head and wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Nexis?" Dumbledore asked, but his voice intonation indicated he demanded an answer.

"The highest level on the Power Scale." Harry informed them. At their blank stares he sighed. Wizards really were clueless. Across from him Serafious heaved an audible sigh and switched into what Harry had dubbed his 'Teacher mode' when he was a kid.

"Magic is categorized in a five level sequence called the Power Scale. The five Levels are Artis, Catis, Martis, Baratis, and Nexis, respectfully. All beings with magic can be categorized in one of these Levels. You understand so far?" Serafious asked, acting as if he was in a classroom giving a lecture. Although all things considered and with his current audience, he might as well be. At everyone's nod he continued.

"Artis is the lowest and most common level on magic. This is where your 'light' and 'dark' reside. Consequently and needless to say the majority of wizards never pass this Level."

"And why not? Are you saying we're weak compared to you?" Chase blurted angrily and glared at the Ancient. That is until said Ancient leveled him with an even look which he promptly looked away from.

"In all bluntness, yes."Serafious said flatly, ignoring some of the nasty looks shot at him as if they didn't matter. Although, knowing the Ancient, they probably didn't. "But that is due to the small nature of the cores that wizards tend to possess."

At this Hermione's head shot up. "Wait, wizard's have small cores?"

"Compared to most magical beings, yes." Serafious said, ignoring James who loudly scoffed.

"But why is that?" Hermione urged.

"Ignore him, he's just trying to make himself look smart and powerful." James said, then opened his mouth to say something else before his eyes went wide when nothing came out. He then clutched at his throat as if it were the problem. Serafious then went on as if James hadn't spoken, though Harry had a feeling the Ancient was the reason for James losing his voice.

"The reason is still much debated till this day. But one of the most plausible excuses is that of the tools in which wizard's use to direct magic."

"Wands." Harry breathed. Serafious inclined his head.

"Why wands?" Remus asked carefully.

"Because wands are not made from the wizard's themselves, or have anything personally from the wizard as a core. Nor are they sentient as Staffs tend to be, which are why Staffs are such powerful conductors; they not only direct your power, they amplify it."

Serafious paused for a second to let this sink in before continuing. "Consequently, because wand cores are made from parts of magical creatures, the wand is only able to conduct the amount of magic the creature had in its possession before the sample was taken. And from what I've seen and know about wand cores, the creatures that are used are usually not that powerful, with the exception of the occasional Phoenix. Because of this, a wand can only conduct a certain amount of magic at a time, and even then it's forced. Therefore, in order to remedy this situation, in every new generation the wizard's cores shrunk so that they would not be overpowering their wand's cores, therefore leading to wizard's magical cores being small. Kind of like evolution if you would, or adapting to one's environment. The action was instinctual in order to preserve the magic itself. After all, if you continually overpowered you directing tool it would eventually lead to a destructive backlash against your magic."

"I say we have a nation wide declaration that everyone snap their wands." Ron murmured.

"Unfortunately, that's no longer an option." Kiryan said tucking a strand of her white hair behind her ear. "Because now wizard's cores are so small that they _need _wands in order to preform _any_ type of magic. That's why 'wandless' magic as you call it is so rare amongst wizards. Because now not many wizarding cores are large enough to be accessed without a wand. Or without the magical touch of the creatures who's parts reside in a wands core."

"Which promptly makes us the bottom of the magical food chain." Hermione murmured aloud.

"Caught that did you." Sirius said dryly.

"Sounds like a crock of bull to me." Chase suddenly declared. "To me it sounds like the 'magical beings' are just trying to make themselves sound superior."

"Hold your tongue Mr. Potter and that's 10 points from Gryffindor for mocking a guest." Snape suddenly snapped before turning toward Serafious. "I beg your pardon, Lord Serafious. Could you please continue?"

Harry blinked at the apologetic tone of his usually snarly Professor before mentally shrugging. _'His vampiric instincts must be strong after all if he recognizes Serafious for who and what he is. Imagine that.'_

Serafious gave Snape a measured and slightly amused look before continuing.

"Anyway, back on the subject of the Power Levels. As I have said before, many, especially wizards, tend to never get past this level. Fortunately the Artis level is vast, so don't be too upset with yourselves. Next is the Level Catis where– "

"Wait, how do you know when you cross over into another Level?" Remus cut in, then looked down apologetically when the Ancient turned toward him. Serafious didn't seem offended though and answered.

"You reach what we call a 'Threshold'. Thresholds are pretty much great surges of magic swarming into your core and expanding it so that it can withhold the magics of the next level."

"So if we reach a Threshold we can enlarge our cores?" Ron repeated excitedly. Serafious hummed.

"Actually it depends. You see your core has to be _large _enough in the _first_ place _to _reach the Threshold. And seeing the size of most wizarding cores..."

"Most will never be strong enough to ever get there." Hermione finished dejectedly. Then she paused "But wait, how will you know _when_ you reach a Threshold?"

At that Serafious gave a slow smile. "Oh, you'll know. Trust me, you'll know."

"Why?" Sirius asked slowly.

"Because it is the most gratifying and pleasurable feeling you will ever experience. It's so powerful that it's highly addictive and some beings spend their entire lives trying to recreate the feeling." Kiryan answered.

"So that's what that was. A Threshold." Dumbledore suddenly murmured, causing many to look at him in surprise.

"Headmaster, you know what he's talking about?" Flitwick asked. Dumbledore looked up in surprise before seeming to realize he had spoken aloud.

"Yes, I have experienced a Threshold before. Up until now, however, I didn't know what it was." Dumbledore answered looking curiously from Serafious to Kiryan.

"Yes, I noticed you were on the Catis Level as soon as I saw you." Serafious said inclining his head. "Catis is the second Power Level, otherwise known as the Level of the Mind. This level focuses on the arts of Mind Magic."

"Like Occlumency." Hermione put in looking excited. Serafious paused.

"Not really. Occlumency, as you put it, is merely using your core magic to shield and organize your mind. It has nothing to do with the actual power and magics of your mind. Same thing with Legemency; It's your core magic that reaches into another person's mind and copies the memories for your viewing. But, as I'm sure you've noticed, they tend to view the memory as you copy it."

"And Penceives?" Sirius asked offhandedly.

Serafious shrugged. "Same thing; takes the memory, copies it, and places it in a device others can use to view it."

"Then how come you don't remember the memory when it's in a Penseive?" Remus asked curiously.

"Because your mind's reflexive reaction to the copying on the memory. You subconsciously think of your memories as private, so when you or someone else copy the memory, your mind automatically pushes it to the back and out of harms way. Therefore, it's like it's not there, or very faint. But when the copy is placed back, as with a Penceive, or is no longer being viewed, as with someone using a Legemency, you subconsciously think it's save and the memory is pushed back to the forefront of your consciousness."

There was a silence as people absorbed this before Serafious continued.

"Anyway, the Catis Level is the actual Mind Magics. These magics include the actual removing, destroying, and replacing of the memories as well as the protection of the mind. You even can read minds without copying the memory, and even remove their memory and make it your own. This is also the level that you can achieve full body possession, where you actually become the person. I wouldn't recommend it though because you tend to get in trouble. A long time ago some beings used this method to jump from one body to another in order to gain new powers. Unfortunately they had to destroy the mind of the person who originally owned the body and this led to complications and an uproar. So full possession has been banded. However you can still do regular possession as long as you don't kill the person your possessing."

"But that's barbaric! How can they still allow that?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Mainly it's used to uphold the law." At everyone's confused look her elaborated. "Think about it. When you fully possess someone you know everything they know. That way there are no false charges and no criminals worming their way out of anything. It's fool proof."

"Oh, I get it. That way no one can claim they are under the Imperious and get out of trouble." Sirius said before flashing his teeth in a grin. "I'm starting to like this level."

"Also in Catis is where you will have access to you Mindscapes, places in the center-most part of your mind that seems to take an actual form and be an actual place. In your Mindscapes you tend to take a seemingly physical form, as if you are actually there. You can also trap other people's, intruders or ones you overpower and drag into your own, minds in your Mindscapes if you manipulate a part of it into, say, a inescapable labyrinth. Then the person's mind will be trapped there until you deem it ft to release them. Really handy for keeping intruders."

"Remind me to never piss off anyone proficient in that Level." Sirius murmured. Serafious looked at him in amusement.

"Then you better be careful around Harry."

"Okay... wait, Harry you're in Catis?" Sirius asked looking at Harry who was innocently regarding the ceiling.

"Now, now, it is impolite to ask someone their Level if you don't already know or can feel it. Some beings are really touchy about what level they are on, or how far along that level they at." Serafious chastised.

"Are you one of those people?" Hermione asked curiously. Serafious flashed her a devilish smile.

"No, I willing admit I'm on the Nexis Level. As to how far along that level... who knows." Serafious said shrugging.

"Nexis?" Hermione ask.

"I'm getting there." Serafious said patiently. "Now onward. The next level is Martis, the third Level. This level is known for having a large variety of magics but is otherwise known as the Directionaless Level."

"Directionaless Level?" Ron said as if trying to wrap his mouth around the words. "Why is it called that?"

"Because the magic in the level needs no means to direct it."

"Like a wand?" Hermione asks "You said it was used to direct magic." Serafious nodded.

"Wait, you said that only wizards had to use things to direct their magic!" James said, having obviously been released from the silencing spell. Harry wished Serafious had kept it on.

"No, I said only wizards used _wands. _All beings except those in or above the Martis Level need to use some sort of conductor. Some use Staffs or scepters, others use runes or markings tattooed to their skin. Voiced incantations and spells can also be used as directional, as can some swords and other weapons. It really depends on the magical beings you're dealing with. Although I admit, wands are the only conductors that harm your magic, which is why all magical beings except wizards don't use them."

"Because wands are harmful can wizards use other conductors?" Hermione asked.

"It really depends on the wizard. For the majority, probably not seeing as the magic has reshaped and shrunk in order to meet the requirements of the wand and can preform no other way. Those with large magical cores however may be able to move to another conductor, perhaps a Staff or scepter seeing as they amplify and exercise your magic until it becomes 'healthy'."

"At any rate, Martis is the Level where you don't need a directional at all, which I believe you refer as 'wandless and wordless' magic, and this magic is controlled by the will alone. You can use this magic with any part of your body, but it is most commonly used through the hands with simple flicking gestures."

Harry had turned and looked at Hermione as Serafious said this and waited. As he suspected it didn't take long for her eyes to light up and excitement to fill the bond.

_"Of course! That what you used isn't it, Harry? When you were fighting the troll all you used were two simple gestures with your hand! You can use Directionaless Magic... but that means you're on the Martis Level!" _Hermione sent him through the bond. Harry met her eyes and inclined his head slightly with a small smile. Hermione gazed at him in astonishment.

"Examples of this magic," Serafious continued, glancing between the two kids, probably aware of there being some type of communication but unaware of what was being said. "Are Elemental Magic, the ability control and manipulate the elements like air, ice, fire, light, etc; 'String' Magic, the ability to create shields and barriers by weaving together the runes that create magic; and Empathy, the ability to sense other beings magic and emotions. Also included in this category is Other Vision, which allows you to see magic in it's true form as runes and such."

"The forth level is the Baratis Level and only contains three types of magic, which gives it the name of 'The Deadly Trio Level'."

"Why the Deadly Trio Level?" Hermione asked. It seemed that she was the one asking most of the questions while everyone else was content to just listen.

"Because the three types of magic are the most dangerous, violent, and unpredictable magics in existence, with the exception of Black Magic. I'll get to that later." Serafious added as Hermione opened her mouth. She closed it and blushed.

"These magics are called Blood Magic, Soul Magic, and Necromancy or Death magic. Seeing as most of the magics use rituals to be preformed, it's needless to say this makes them highly dangerous because if you make even the smallest mistake the backlash will kill or mutilate you. There is, of course, several ways, varieties, and uses contained within these three, making the Baratis level pretty vast. Blood magic is preformed by either using your blood to draw runes, the very essence that makes up magic, onto a surface or cutting runes into yourself to enhance yourself in a certain way or such. Soul Magic is a secretive branch, and one that I am not allowed to discuss with anyone who has not reached the Baratis level, so I apologize. And lastly Necromancy is used to rise and communicate with the dead. It is also used to destroy magic in general because where magic is made of runes, death magic is kind of like voids, taking in and destroying everything around it, if not properly contained."

"And finally we have the last and most powerful level; Nexis. Nexis is made of White Magic, Black Magic, and Ancient Magic. You already have a vague idea of what Black Magic, otherwise known as 'Demon Magic', is. It's opposite is White Magic, or 'Purity Magic', which you also have a vague idea. I can't really elaborate because both are very hard to explain to anyone below Nexis, but I guess you can say both are sentient in a way. As is Ancient Magic, the third magic of Nexis and most powerful type of magic in existence. Oh, and Nexis is also known as the 'Infinite Level'. You know why?"

When no one answered he went on.

"Because there is no level beyond. You can only ever pass four Thresholds your entire life. It's because even today, after thousands of years, beings are _still_ making new discoveries in the Nexis Level. That's why when I mentioned how far along I was in the Nexis level I couldn't be specific. No one knows how vast Nexis is, or even if it _has _an end. If it does, it's impossible to reach."

"But that still doesn't explain what Leeway Time is." Hermione pointed out.

"Oh yes, I'm getting ahead of myself. When a person gets to Nexis their magic is at the strongest it's going to get. And when your power is fully developed, it no longer focuses on strengthening itself. Since it can no longer do that, and for some reason your magic always has to be doing _something_, once every year for three days it takes a 'time out' to reorganize itself or something. No one really knows _exactly _what it does at that time. But this period of three days is called 'Leeway Time'. Leeway Time is when the beings of Nexis have access to only a small fraction of the power they are originally capable of. This makes them a lot weaker."

"But why does your magic do that? Why would it intentionally weaken you?"

"Some say it's a balance of power factor. Those in Nexis are pretty much the top of the magical food chain, so to speak. It is said that Leeway Time exists to keep those in Nexis in check so that they don't let the power go to their heads. After all, if you rely on power to run and enslave people, all they have to do is wait until your Leeway Time to kill you. It's a rather understandable system when you think about it."

"But if it's once a year, how did Obsidian know when to hit Kaden?"

"That's because Leeway Time is the _same time _every year. Once established, it can never change. In case you're wondering, Leeway Time is set on the exact day and two days after you cross the Nexis Threshold."

"Anyway, Obsidian and I were both Kaden's Apprentices for many years, so we're both well aware of when his Leeway Time is. Obsidian merely struck when he knew Kaden was at his weakest. A rather tactical move if you think about it. Kaden would have been a deadly opponent. And seeing as it will take Kaden a while to fully recover, he's going to be out of the way for a while. It's like taking a Rook off of the Chess board before the game even began; very smart indeed."

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Harry sat in his bed gazing out the window and thinking. To his right Sirius was out cold and snoring while to his left Remus was also sleeping, but quietly.

After Serafious had finished explaining about Obsidian and the Five Levels of Power he had to leave to go to Kaden and check on him. Kiryan had gone with him, but not after apologizing profusely because it was obvious they would not be able to go to Alenious at this time, especially with all the upheaval Kaden's attack caused.

Harry felt bad for Ron and Hermione because they had been looking forward to it, but they both understood why the trip had to be postponed. Luckily they didn't mind spending the time at the castle. Harry sighed.

He'd make it up to them later.

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"Man my neck is killing me." Rowan said as she rolled her shoulders. "It's too bad that Arnious got away. But then it's kind of a good thing because now I can get my revenge."

"From what I heard, what you and that mother hen did was rather foolish." Stephano said from the place he was laying, which was a couple of paces away from her. Currently Rowan, Stephano, Kestrel, Ebony, and Hedwig were 'stationed' under 'their' tree in front of Hogwarts near the lake. Ever since the ordeal with the Dark Elves the five familiars had been edgy and worried about their bonded.

Rowan gave Stephano a look. "Well, can you blame us? Those things were going after my kit!"

_~ Being as that may, perhaps you should have thought to get us as well. Believe it or not we could have been of help too and perhaps you and the others wouldn't be in the conditions you're currently in.~ _Ebony pointed out where he was coiled in the sun light. Above him Kestrel chirped her agreement and fixed the young Sable with a pointed look. Rowan's ears went back before she lifted her paw and examined it.

"Okay, okay, I get it, no need for the lectures. Next time something tries to kill everyone I'll make sure to give you a shout." Rowan said, getting up with a flick of her tail. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to go check on my kit." and with that Rowan turned with her tail held high and trotted away, leaving the others to exchange exasperated glances.

Rowan sighed as she pussy footed toward the front doors of Hogwarts. She knew the others were just worried about her, Harry, and his friends and family, but every time they lectured her on getting herself in trouble and not calling them, she felt that they were treating her like a kitten. Which she was not, thank you very much! She had five years under her wings! That had to count for something, right?

Caught up as she was in her thoughts, she wasn't aware of the presence behind her until two soft, gentle hands scooped her up and held her against a soft body. Rowan stilled before looking up, then her fear quickly turned from fear to curiosity when violet eyes met emerald green.

What was Lily Potter doing out here?

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Lily stared at the young Sable in her arms and mentally sighed as she headed toward the castle doors. The kitten looked fine unless you knew what to look for; then the markings of a hand print could be made out of fur around the Sable's neck, along with a few small bald patches where the fur had been torn out around the neck. No doubt the winged-kitten had a horrible bruise there as well from when her neck was almost crushed.

Lily felt horrible. She should have known that something was wrong when Remus and Sirius had went by her in the hallway. Maybe if she had followed them, she could have helped them and Harry when they most needed her. And now Harry, Remus, and Sirius were in the hospital and she couldn't bring herself to go in there and see them that way.

Well, she may not have been able to help them, but at least she could help someone who had. This thought had her looking for Rowan since Hedwig was unharmed. She wasn't an accomplished healer like Madam Promphey, but she was really accomplished with Charms and could heal the bruises and bald spots on the kitten so that she wouldn't be in pain anymore.

To Lily's surprise, when she had found and picked up the Sable, she hadn't fought her at all. Harry had said that his familiars could talk and were highly intelligent, and she was definitely starting to believe him if the curious look the Sable gave her was anything to go by.

Stroking the kitten in case it felt threatened, she continued making her way through the castle until she reached the office Dumbledore had given her for her privacy. Walking in she closed her door with her foot and placed Rowan on the soft cushion on her desk the she had placed out earlier for when she found the Sable. Sitting in the chair in front of the desk she gently scratched the Sable behind her ears as she took out her wand and cast a few monitoring spells.

Sure enough the black kitten had some ugly and painful looking bruises on her neck that wrapped around the whole thing. Sighing, Lily waved her wand and canceled the spell, well aware of the wary look Rowan was regarding her with.

"I'm sorry, little one. These must hurt." Lily murmured, watching as Rowan's tail twitched at the sound of her voice. "I'm going to preform a spell that will heal them now. Your neck will probably be a little sore for a while, but there's nothing that can be done about that. But at least this way you won't be in pain every time you move it and you'll be able to swallow without pain too."

Lily didn't know what came over her to talk to the kitten. Perhaps it was because she had seen Harry do all the time and had gotten used to the fact that his familiars could understand English. All the same, her words seemed to reassure Rowan, who relaxed into the cushion and regarded her with her head tilted slightly. Taking that was a positive to continue Lily raised her wand and waved it in a pattern over the kitten, weaving healing and numbing Charms.

After she was done she noticed the kitten was more relaxed and was moving her head slightly, as if testing Lily's handy work. Lily cast another monitoring Charm and was relieved to see the bruises were shrinking into nothing and the bald patched were quickly regrowing fur.

It was when she was canceling her Charm that Chase walked in.

"Hey mom, I was wondering if you would... what is _that_ doing here?" Chase asked, suddenly catching sight of the black fluff ball curled on the cushion on Lily's desk. Rowan regarded him with a similarly disgusted look before Lily picked her up into her arms.

"It is none of your concern, Chase." Lily said as she walked around her son, placed Rowan on her feet outside of her office door and giving her a little push before turning to Chase. "Now what is it you wanted?"

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"Ah, Rowan. I was wondering when I would be seeing you." Harry said as Rowan jumped up onto the bed and waddled over the uneven surface toward him. Ron and Hermione were already sitting on the bed with him because they had been talking before Rowan had entered. By now both Remus and Sirius had been discharged from the hospital due to their injuries being physical instead of magical. Although, Sirius did get a lecture on being careful with his back for a few weeks while his spinal cord healed.

"I was with Lily." Rowan stated, making Harry raise an eyebrow and look at her weirdly. Ron and Hermione, who were both resting a hand on Harry's wrists, looked just as startled.

"Lily? As in Lily Potter? What were you doing with her?" Harry asked tilting his head.

"She picked me up in front of the doors and took me to her office. But here's the really surprising part; she actually healed me, vanishing the bruises and bald spots on my neck. She even told me she was doing it, too. It was weird, I never thought she would actually talk to one of us. And when Chase came in she finished up and just placed me out the door like she did this on a daily bases. As strange as this sounds, I think she was really upset about me being hurt."

"Now that you mention it, Lily wasn't here earlier when Serafious, Kiryan, and all the teachers were." Hermione pointed out. "Both James and Chase were, but not Lily."

"And she as been acting a little weird lately." Ron added. "Haven't you noticed she hasn't yelled at us for a while and that when she does speak to us she seems... I don't know, kind?"

Harry thought about that for a minute before shaking his head. "Let's try to figure out the actions of Lily Potter later. Right now we have to figure out a way to get me out of the hospital wing and the three of us into Hogsmead."

"Hogsmead? Why are we going to Hogsmead?" Ron asked curiously. Hermione, for once, looked just as stumped as he was. Harry grinned at both of them.

"To get some dress clothes of course. After all, in a couple of days we have a Ball to crash."

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So what do you think? I tried to explain the five levels and Obsidian's past. I also skipped over writing a summary seeing as I had more people complain when I did then when I didn't. But if you want a summary of the chapter just say so in a review and I'll try to get one to you. And yes, I am going to try and have Chase's Ball the next chapter. And Voldemort will be reappearing soon too; after all, Obsidian maybe a bad guy but Voldemort is _The_ bad guy.

Please review, they really give me motivation, especially when they contain ideas for the story. Writer's Block sucks.


	18. Musings

Hello everyone! I'm alive!... and have no good excuses as to why it has taken so long to update (cough, three years, cough), so I will have to settle for the utterance of one single word; Life. That, and a writers block from hell, one that is still up in full force by the way. I have absolutely no idea where I was going with this story because I was stupid years ago when I started it and didn't draft an outline. So at the moment woe is me because I can't remember much of the future plot. I had to reread the entire story to this point to even get out this chapter. So this is what it comes down to; I need help. Any ideas for the plot or situations between the characters would be extremely helpful, especially if you want another chapter any time this year *cough*. I'm desperate, really struggling, and even considered just putting this story on a permanent hiatus. Especially since I realized I will probably need to rewrite a lot of it (most of the beginning actually).

Also, sorry for not knowing how to properly display the intelligence level of a four year old. I don't like young children very much (I willingly admit that I have no patience what so ever), and therefore do not spend enough time in their presence to be able to formulate a proper analysis of their intelligence level. My bad. As for a rewrite... yeah, that probably won't be happening any time soon. Sorry about that. Right now I'm too busy struggling over what the next scene is. I know I was going somewhere with this...

Anyway, onward!

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Malikie, the Ice General of the Dark Elves, looked over the decaying landscape of the Dark Elf home dimension and gave an inaudible sigh of disgust.

"And to think we used to be such a proud race." he murmured aloud softly, leaning his folded arms on top of the railing of the 151st floor balcony he was on and looking down at the wine glass in his hand in annoyance. Arnious, who was in the room behind him being attended by three physicians, looked up at the sound of Malikie's voice.

"What was that? I didn't hear you." Arnious said, his voice grating on Malikie's nerves.

"Nothing that would be of importance to you."

Arnious stared at Malikie's back with his blood red eyes for a moment. "Somebody's touchy. Is it because you made us flee the battle? Are you feeling embarreled?" Arnious said trying to sound mocking. Malikie gave him an uninterested look.

"The word you're looking for is embarrassed. And while we're on that subject, at least I wasn't the one who got bested by a human child." At that Anious's scaly green skin grew darker.

"I would have got him had you given me the chance. But nooo, you had to make us retreat just as a new playmate came along."

"Exactly; Serafious would have torn you to pieces." Malikie said, tilting his glass so that it caught the light.

"You don't know that!" Arnious screeched, making the physicians flinch. Malikie looked back at him stoically.

"Yes, I do." he said flatly.

Arnious glared at him before huffing and looking away. "Well anyway, next time I see that human I'm tearing out his guts and using them as decoration." He said, his nails grating holes into the arms of the chair he was sitting in.

"How vile." Malikie said plainly while turning to look down on the 'city' once more. "And now that it is obvious that the only thing left injured now is your pride, do leave. Your incompetence is tiring." he added, signaling for the healers to leave. They were more then happy to do so, scurrying out. Arnious glared at him for a moment before growling and standing.

"One of these days someone is going to knock you off that high horse of yours. And I'm going to be cheering from the adieus when they do so." he spat, swirling awkwardly and stomping to the door.

"It's audience, imbecile." Malikie commented offhandedly without looking back. Arnious paused at the door and roared angrily before slamming it shut behind him. Malikie didn't even flinch at the sound of cracking wood. He sighed and brought the wine glass to his lips.

Truly the race of the Dark Elves had fallen. What used to be a proud and powerful race were now pitiful beings thriving on death and decay, like common, lowly animals. It was disgusting, really.

Malikie supposed that it can be blamed on the Black Magic running through their veins, but that wasn't completely true either. The plain and simple fact was that the Dark Elves weren't powerful enough to control the very power they created, instead letting it control them.

Malikie lowered the cup and clicked his tongue softly. That is, the Black Magic controlled all of his race except him, it seemed. Truthfully, he didn't know why he had kept his sanity while the rest of his race had fallen. It was just one of those unsolved mysteries in life, but he supposed it probably had something to do with his immunity to influential magic. A trait, it seemed, no one else in his race shared.

Malikie closed his eyes and leaned back slightly. He could still feel the disappointment that had flooded him five days ago when he had opened his eyes and found himself awakened by Prince Obsidian. In truth, no matter how strange it sounded, he had hoped to never be awoken again. Because such a thing would have proven that one other Dark Elf would not fall to their race's curse.

He had, had such high hopes for Prince Obsidian, believing that like himself, Obsidian was immune to the Black Magic's influence. And his hope had increased when Obsidian had willingly agreed to be the Holder of the Seal for their people. Malikie had probably been the only one that had gone to sleep with a smile and without a fight.

But then his hopes had been shattered when he had opened his eyes.

Malikie was snapped momentarily out of his thoughts at a shattering sound to find that he had flung his wineglass against the wall. Taking a deep breath to calm himself he walked over to the mess and kneeled beside it, picking up one of the larger glass shards.

Well, at least something good had come to being awoken. To be able to live again after so long was exhilarating. And what was even more exhilarating was being able to face his long time rival again. Imagine his surprise and delight when he had found Angelus Serafious still alive and kicking after all these years. Sure, he had heard from Obsidian that Serafious was still alive, but hearing and seeing were two entirely different things. Especially since the source of the hearing part wasn't technically all there.

Despite popular belief, he didn't really have anything against the Ancient. It was just that he always found it thrilling to fight the vampire, and had made it a habit of pissing said ancient off for centuries just so the vampire would go after him.

Because, call him crazy for admitting it, he loved fighting. He didn't know why, but it was addictive. The rush of facing off with an opponent, of crossing blades with someone worthy, the adrenaline, the knowledge of the fact that one slip up, one wrong move, and it's over, was all very addicting. And the best part was that you weren't relying on anything else but yourself. Your skills, your power, your reflexes and stamina and knowledge. Nothing else.

Though there was one part about fighting he didn't like. And that was the killing part. How his kind got off on that was beyond him. Come on, what was so exhilarating about taking your opponents life? If you did that, then they wouldn't be around for you to fight again, so there really wouldn't be a point to fighting them in the first place. After all, wasn't the fight to test their skills in the first place? And even if they were inferior to you in skill, wasn't letting them live with their defeat worse then killing them? And by letting them live you give them a purpose to get stronger; so they can defeat you. And that's where it gets really fun because every time you fight them after that they always try something new. It's always interesting to see what people will try next.

Thinking of surprises and interesting facts brought him back to the fight earlier in the human realm. Fighting the female Elf had been interesting at least. She was good, he had to admit, and he could understand what his rival saw in her. The werewolf and his animagus friend were pretty good too, but still had a long way to go. And he was definitely amused when the human that Arnious had been planning on eating had gotten the best of him. But what had surprised him most was the young Lestran that had been with them. Sure, he knew that the Lestran was the one they were after, as well as the female elf, but it had still surprised him to see one of the legendary winged beings.

And he had not been disappointed either. He could feel the power the Lestran had, and the power the Lestran probably wasn't even aware he had. It was pretty impressive for one so young and had him interested in how powerful the Lestran would be when he was fully grown. It was quite an exciting prospect. But truthfully Malikie wasn't too surprised considering who the Lestran called father.

But the most interesting fact was the presence he had felt. One that had not been in the clearing they had been fighting in, but inside of the castle a little ways from them. A dark, powerful presence that he had felt as soon as he had exited the gate. It had felt like pure darkness, not the tainted kind he was so used to feeling, and felt potent and seductive. And the most interesting part was that he could feel Black Magic in it, yet the Black Magic felt... controlled, somehow, and pensive. And familiar. It had been bothering him for a while now since he couldn't place it.

Malikie dropped the glass shard and looked toward the balcony. One thing was for certain; he definitely wanted to find out who that powerful dark presence belonged to. And why he felt drawn to obey it, like a servant drawn to its master.

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"You have got to be kidding me. Why do I feel like I'm in the center of the hugest practical joke ever?" Harry said as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Complete with ruffles and frills, not to mention a horrendous maroon color and choppy designs, was the most grotesque set of dress robes Harry had ever scene.

"Are you kidding? That's one of the more better looking outfits." Ron said from behind him. Harry looked at the reflection of Ron's back in the mirror and glared at him.

"I'm starting to agree with Vince; Wizards have the most horrible fashion sense."

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad." Ron said turning around to face the mirror. Harry, looking at his red colored frilly robes with floral patterns on them, raised an eyebrow. Ron stared at the mirror for a moment before biting his lip.

"I rest my case." Harry said flatly before pulling the robes over his head and letting them fall unceremoniously to the floor. Looking sourly down at his robes he sighed before coming to a decision and walking over to kneel in front of his trunk.

"Well, it is a wizarding party, so we kind of need to dress– what is that?" Ron said turning toward Harry, who had pulled some articles of clothing from the bottom of his trunk. Harry glanced up at him with an amused look.

"It's like you said; it's a party, a formal occasion, so I'm going to dress accordingly. The way we do it where I come from, not in a dress." Harry said, gathering the articles together and heading to the bathroom.

"It's not a dress!" Ron called after him in a disgruntled voice. Harry paused in the bathroom doorway and turned to look at him with an amused expression.

"Ron, just because they add the word 'robes' behind it, doesn't actually change what it literally is." Harry said flatly before closing the door before Ron could reply. Giving a small smile Harry turned and gently placed the articles of clothing on the sink, running his hand over the smooth material.

Five minutes later he exited the bathroom feeling elaborated and light. Ron turned around, no doubt to give him hell, when he paused and looked him over.

"Whoa." Ron said, before raising an eyebrow. "It looks awesome, but it looks more like you're going to a battle field then a party."

"Is there a difference." Harry said dryly before turning to look at himself in the mirror.

A regal youth stared back at him, dressed from head to toe in a black leathery looking material. Set in the material was interwoven with gold threaded runes and designs, which shone and glittered like liquid gold when touched with the light. Black gloves of the same material adorned his hands, the tips cut off so that his finger tips and nails were visible, and his feet were covered with ankle high black scaley looking boots. Below his left shoulder was the Academy's Crest; outspread wings on either side of a sword and staff crossing, with the ruins of the elements around them.

Around his neck on a gold chain that looked like ivy was the family pendant/crest of the Salvenoes line, Kiryan's line, (the Pendent of Equality was under his clothes) which was of a creature long forgotten; an large wolf looking creature with curved horns, huge wings, lithe body, and thirteen thin tails, standing proudly on a grassy hilltop with the full moon behind it. On his hand the Keeper of Shadows and Serafious's family ring shone proudly and from his shoulders hung a black silk cloak that brushed the floor. Completing the picture was the Staff of Merlin pulsing rhythmically in the holster at his side.

"Question; what are you wearing?" Ron said frowning at his own attire.

"Warrior's Garb." Harry answered turning away. "And before you ask, yes it is meant for the battle field but is also a must wear for formal occasions. It's an honor, you see. Only those who have entered the academy get a suit and since there are very few of us that can meet the level to get in, there are very few that have one. And a whole lot that want one."

"Why? I admit, it looks awesome, but what's the big deal? Can't they just make a suit that look the same?"

"It's not so much the suit as the material and runes it's made from. The material is the hide of a Death Dragon, one of the powerful and legendary creatures that existed before time. Despite its flexibility, the hide it the strongest material in existence; nothing can cut it, not even a laser. And the runes interwoven within it are the most powerful you can use and block most spells."

"Can't others just get a Death Dragon's hide and make their own?"

Harry gave Ron a disbelieving look. "Only three Death Dragons can exist at once. And a hide can't be taken, it has to be given. And that's only when it's shed."

"Wait, Death Dragons shed?" Ron said raising an eyebrow. "That's a very reptile thing to do."

"Well, it's a good thing they do; no one can kill a Death Dragon, let alone for its hide. That's why they call it a Death Dragon." Harry stated before stretching.

"Aren't you worried about growing out of it?" Ron said while trying to rearrange his robes. And failing.

"No, it grows as you do. Pretty handy, huh."

Ron glanced at him before looking back at his image in the mirror. "One more question; Do you have anything else fancy with you that I can use?"

Harry smirked as Ron fidgeted. "Yeah, we may be able to find something for you." he said, finding amusement in Ron's elated expression. You knew something was wrong with a fashion when even members of the species that made it didn't want to wear it.

Vince had so called it. Not that he would ever tell the Elf that.

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Ginny stood near the sidelines, watching as other witches and wizards swept across the dance floor, the women wearing extravagant and colorful gowns while the men were wearing tasteful and multilayered dressrobes.

At least, she was told that they were supposed to be tasteful. Even after growing up in the Wizarding World and being used to these things, she still couldn't help but agree with Harry's friend Vince (whom she had yet to meet, but had heard a lot about); they really did look like the male version of a dress, no matter what they were called.

Not that she would ever say that aloud.

Barely suppressing a sigh of boredom she leaned against the wall behind her. This was why she didn't like pureblood thrown balls. They were so _boring, _you weren't allowed to do anything other then talk to other people, dance (but seeing as all the music was slow music, which took all the fun out of it really, there really was no point), or eat at the gigantic spread on the other side of the room. There really wasn't much else to do. Which is why she didn't get the point of her or the other kids being there. And she had a feeling that over half of them would be asleep by the end of the night.

And this was supposed to be a ball for what was essentially a child's holiday. Go figure.

A flash of silver out of the corner of her eye pulled her out of her musings and caused her to look over to her side and smile slightly. As usual, the Malfoys had made quite the entrance, dressed in the glittering silver and dark blue that were the colors of their house. About a year ago she would have instantly turned her head away at the sight of them, just as her family had always taught her to, but this year she couldn't help but observe them with interest.

Lord Lucius Malfoy was as tall and regal as she remembered, long platinum blond hair partially pulled back by a silver band as to not get in his face. He too was wearing dressrobes, but for some reason they didn't look like a 'mans dress' on him; the dark blue and silver lined robes surprising looked dignified and masculine, with none of the 'frills or ruffles' that the others seem too have. Ginny briefly wondered how he pulled that off.

Next to him Narcissa Malfoy nee Black also looked gorgeous in a surprisingly simple yet elegant silver dress with dark blue lining. Her golden colored hair was up in a twist of curls with jewels through out the style and she was wearing a sparkling silver and diamond necklace, which was probably what caught Ginny's eye.

Turning her eyes away from the stunning couple, Ginny looked for the one person she was the most curious about, before spotting him not far from his parents speaking with some kids that looked his age. Draco Malfoy was dressed in the same style as his father, and had the same ability to pull it off. The only difference was that the young Malfoy was wearing a silver crested belt on the outside of his robes that looked surprisingly stylish.

Ginny observed him silently, trying to tie the regal youth in with the adventurous and sarcastic individual that was Harry's friend. Truthfully, she didn't know what to make of him. All her life she had been told that the Malfoys were the worst sort of people and to stay away from them. Yet from what Harry's letters had told her, as well as what Ron's had said when he had grudgingly sent her one, the Malfoy heir wasn't all that bad, even if he was a little bit snobbish and arrogant at times. But that probably just came with the territory of being the heir of an Ancient and Noble House.

"Well, there goes the hope that they were going to skip this party." Ginny turned slightly at the voice of her mother, who was shooting the Malfoys a dark look as they mingled and talked with the other guests. "They really shouldn't be here in my opinion".

Ginny choked back her reflexive response of 'well nobody asked your opinion' before she could sign up for the spanking and lecture of her life, before pondering _why_ she would have thought that in the first place. Okay, so maybe her mom was right; Harry was a bad influence.

Just not in the way she thought he was.

Ignoring her parents who were currently badmouthing the Malfoys and other 'Death Eater Scum' with others of their 'circle', Ginny turned back to look at said topic of their conversation. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fred and George slip away, but gave no indication that she did. Not that she could blame them really, listening to people rant was about as boring as it was going to get.

Swallowing back another sigh she glanced once more to watch the 'Lords and Ladies' when her gaze was caught in molten silver. Freezing, she barely stopped her knee jerk reaction of turning her eyes away and held the gaze stubbornly, something she was positive she would have never done before. One pale eyebrow rose slightly at this before, to her absolute surprise, the young Malfoy heir _inclined_ his head slightly towards her and turned back to one of his companions, who had obviously asked him something.

Huh, weird. That was something that she was sure she would never see. And now she was curious.

Mentally shaking her head she, curiosity burning in her, she found herself walking toward the young Malfoy heir before she realized what she was doing. Unfortunately her movement had caught the attention of the young Malfoy once more, and he looked over at her again, eyebrow raising.

Well, if that wasn't a challenge, she didn't know what was.

Refusing to back down now, yet currently having second thoughts, she forced her legs to keep her forward momentum, walking away from her family (who had yet to notice anything thankfully) and toward what she was sure to be a rather humiliating encounter.

Well, Ginny mused, at least it was better then being bored.

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To say that Draco was a little surprised was an understatement. He really didn't think the little redhead had it in her. But then again she was Ron's sister was well as Harry's penpal. Which was why he had looked at her out of curiosity in the first place. Harry had let him be privy to a couple of letters between him and the redhead, and her writing and attitude towards her family and their views had quirked his interest in meeting the young 'spitfire' (Harry's term) that Ron called sister. So when his family had entered he couldn't help but look around for the group of bright red haired individuals that made up the Weasley Brood, before spotting the small figure leaning against the wall looking bored out of her mind.

She was surprisingly not bad looking for a female Weasley, with red hair that was more red then orange (unlike the others in her family) and dark green eyes that, while not nearly was exotic as Harry's emerald green, were just as stunning in their own right, like the deep green of a rainforest. She was wearing a simple red dress, not that he was surprised, but looked surprisingly... pretty.

When she had suddenly looked up and caught his gaze, he expected her to be like most 'Light' families and immediately look away. Honestly, the fact that the Light spent most of their conversations insulting the 'Dark', yet refused to meet their gaze for a long amount of time, always both irked and amused the young Malfoy. So needless to saw when forest green eyes met and held his gaze stubbornly, he was a little surprised to say the least.

Spitfire indeed.

Inclining his head slightly towards the youngest Weasley (and getting a flash of amusement when she looked startled by the action), he turned away when Daphne Greengrass questioned him about what he was doing for the holidays. Answering politely (his father had always said to never ostracize a possible ally), he was going to go into detail when he caught a movement of red in the corner of his eye and turned to see the only Weasley girl walking towards him looking to be deep in thought.

He felt his 'friends' stir beside him as they no doubt were wondering what was going on before green met silver again and the girl seemed to hesitate. So he raised an eyebrow challengingly and knew she got the message when he saw obstinacy flash across those green irises and her stride even out once more.

He knew they had the attention of several people, his parents included no doubt, when the young redhead stopped in front of him. She seemed to be struggling with her opening line when he thought he'd save her the trouble.

"Good evening Miss, how are you enjoying the ball?"

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It was formal. Formal was nice. Formal was _good,_ especially since she had no idea what to do in this situation. It was only when she stopped in front of him when she realized that she really didn't know what to say. She couldn't just start right out talking personally because technically speaking, they had never met. And while Harry had described his friends and events that had happened, she had never personally _met_ any of them with the exception of her brother.

But formal greeting were an excellent way to start a conversation, and she was currently mentally smacking herself for not thinking of it first. Thank you Draco Malfoy for the save.

Wow, that was something she never would have thought she would think.

"Very well, thank you. I hope I'm not intruding, but I wished to greet you on this fine evening." Ginny said automatically, the proper words spilling from her mouth before she could think about them. While her parents and most of the family didn't care much for pureblood etiquette, her older brother Charlie had been adamant that she learn it in case she ever had to be a part of any business dealings with purebloods. Good thing too.

"Not at all, young miss. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Draco Malfoy, heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Malfoy said, sweeping into a slight bow and kissing the back of her hand that he had taken. Surprisingly the words and actions did not hold a mocking edge, so Ginny went along with it.

"The pleasure is mine, Heir Malfoy. I am Ginerva Weasley, youngest of the Honorable House of Weasley." she said, sweeping into the proper curtsey. Thank you Charlie.

Weasley wasn't an Ancient house, but in was an old pureblood one, which was while it had the right to use Honorable in it. Though why her ancestors had used 'Honorable' instead of 'Noble' like most families, she had no idea. But hey, it wasn't too bad.

The slight upturn of his brow indicated that he probably hadn't expected her to know proper etiquette, so Ginny considered it a win.

His companions, who had remained quiet (no doubt from surprise), started to stir and one of them, the girl standing closest to Malfoy, stepped forward with a slight sneer towards Ginny. However, when she went to speak, no doubt to say something derogatory, she was cut off by a cultured voice that sounded from behind Ginny.

"Aw, good, so you two have met. Saves me the time and effort of introducing you."

Ginny had swerved around at the first couple of words and had to hastily sqwash down the urge to whoop out loud at the sight that greeted her. Harry Halisio stood behind her with an amused look on his face, his eyes moving back and forth between her and Malfoy with an entertained air.

Yay, no more boredom. Although how Harry had managed to get through the front door was a mystery.

The atmosphere around them seemed to shift slightly as people no doubt started to recognized one of the most talked about individuals as of late. Or maybe if could have been because of what Harry was wearing. Those were definitely not dressrobes; in fact it looked like decked out black armor, and it looked totally awesome. He was also sporting several crests and insignias that didn't look familiar. However, when she went to ask about them, the words caught in her throat as she caught sight of the pair behind him.

The girl behind Harry looked quite pretty dressed up in a light blue ball gown with white embroidery and crystals sewn into the dress. Her brown hair looked like it had been straightened and was currently up in curls with more crystals in it. The girl, who Ginny guessed was Hermione Granger from Harry's letters, was looking quite pretty, but her ensemble was not nearly as surprising as her brother's, Ron, who was escorting Hermione in a surprisingly Pureblood fashion.

Ron was wearing a outfit similar to Harry's in cut and style, if not materials and decoration. In was also a dark green with gold lining, which surprised Ginny to no end seeing as green was considered the color only worn by Slytherins and was by no means a family color. But even she had to admit it looked good on him seeing as the green contrasted nicely with his hair and seemed to pale out his freckles.

While the outfit itself was surprising, Ginny was more surprised that he was willing to wear it to a party mostly for Purebloods. Or more specifically a party where he knew their parents would be at.

That thought had her looking over at their family, only to see her mother approaching them with a scowl on her face. With a sigh Ginny glanced at Harry, who looked even more amused then before as he inconspicuously watched the enraged Weasley monarch who was approaching. A glance to her side showed Draco, who looked equally amused, an awkward Hermione, and a resigned Ron. Ginny folded her arms and sighed again.

Well, it seemed she was going to see on of those 'eye rollingly pitiable, but slightly amusing confrontations that seemed to be happening a lot lately with the resident magic users' situations that Harry talked about sometimes in his letters after all. And at her family's expense too.

Oh well, at least she wasn't bored.

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Well, there's a chapter, albeit a short and rather dull one (okay, really dull). But hey, it's something, right?

Okay, now I know where I want to go with this, but the problem is the scenes that I want to wright happen _way _into the story and I have to write all the scenes and events that lead up to them, which is where I'm struggling *sigh*. The little details and encounters are really becoming a pain, so if anyone wants to lend an idea, I would be more then happy to use it.

Anyway, R&R please, it would be awesome to hear from you all again. I could really use the inspiration right now, even if it is a simple "Update Soon!".


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